IĠM president Sylvana Debono said that Daphne Caruana Galizia was “unique” in that she undertook investigations with no institutional backing, her murder acting as a catalyst in spurring unity and awareness among journalists.
Debono was testifying on Tuesday before the board conducting the public inquiry tasked with determining whether the October 2017 assassination of the journalist could have been avoided and to identify any failures by state institutions in this regard.
Asked whether the institute she headed was strong enough to offer protection to journalists, Debono replied in the negative.
“That is the blunt answer. Only the police can do so,” Debono added, explaining further that the IĠM currently ran on zero staff and barely any premises, except for “a room courtesy of MEUSAC”.
“What about funding?” the board asked.
“We have a begging bowl,” came the reply.
“This time last year I was livid because IĠM had funding from the Tumas Foundation. After the events of last year, it was incumbent to break off that relationship,” Debono said.
She acknowledged that “with merit to the current administration” some channel of communication had been established with government, adding that she had recently said as much to the present chief communications officer at Castille.
“At least with you there’s a channel of communication. If your predecessor [Kurt Farrugia] were to speak to me, I would not even recognise his voice,” she had remarked.
Debono also gave the board an overview of the difficulties faced by members of the profession and changes which needed to be introduced.
Threatening messages, delays faced when putting freedom of information requests, funding problems and threats of SLAPP actions were touched upon by Debono during her testimony.
“FOI requests are notoriously impossible to achieve,” she explained, pointing out that legal time-limits were too long and suggesting that government adopt a tiered approach.
The introduction of a press ethics commissioner, parallel to the commissioner for standards, would also be a welcome introduction.
Asked about any change brought about by Caruana Galizia’s assassination, Debono said that although serious investigations had been undertaken beforehand, “what Daphne did was unique in that she undertook investigations without any institutional backing or support”.
The journalist’s murder had been “a catalyst” in bringing a greater sense of “unity among journalists and awareness that this is a frontline job”.
The inquiry continues on Wednesday.