The Institute of Maltese Journalists has announced its new executive council, featuring the widest ever representation of Maltese media with members from six different newsrooms.
The new executive council, appointed at an annual general meeting on Friday, also features the largest female representation in its 30-year history, with three women appointed as members.
Nigel Mifsud will continue to hold office as General Secretary while Mario Schiavone will continue to hold office as treasurer. The other appointed members are Claire Caruana from Times of Malta, Sylvana Debono, Christine Amaira, Neil Camilleri, Julian Bonnici, Charles Camenzuli and Domenic Aquilina. The President of the Malta Sport Journalists Association Sandro Micallef will be a non-voting member in the council.
In the absence of a nomination for the office of President, it was agreed that one of the members elected to the council should be selected president at the first meeting of the Council when the respective posts are assigned.
At the annual general meeting, the IĠM also unveiled a new logo, as well as logos of two autonomous commissions: the Commission for Ethics in Journalism and the Commission which will help in the organisation of the Malta Journalism Awards.
Members unanimously approved several amendments to the statute, bringing it in line with the requirements of the Voluntary Organisations Commission.
Among these were an increase from seven to nine members on the IĠM council, the change in nomenclature from Chairperson to President, the abolition of proxy vote in cases of general meetings and the decision to hold annual general meetings every two years as approved in 2016.
Another addition is the appointment of two reviewers to better scrutinise IĠM finances, with members Mario Xuereb and Victor Vella being appointed as the institute's first two reviewers.
The annual general meeting also approved the IĠM exploring in detail the requirements for the institute to become a trade union.
The general meeting thanked the members who completed their work in the Council: Chairman Yannick Pace, and members Mario Xuereb and Roderick Agius.