The Labour Party needs its own English language news website to counterbalance websites “with an agenda against us”, Chris Fearne has argued.
Mr Fearne, who is running to replace Joseph Muscat as party leader and prime minister when he steps down next week, was speaking during a leadership campaign activity in Żurrieq.
“We need an English version of our online portal, so that people abroad can read our version of events and not just English language newspapers with an agenda against us,” Mr Fearne said.
"We want our message to reach people without it being distorted by other parties' propaganda machines."
Mr Fearne dismissed a recent proposal floated by the Nationalist Party to abolish party-owned media, saying they were only making the suggestion because they could now no longer afford it.
"Just because they cannot afford theirs, they want us to dismantle ours," he told the crowd.
“If we return to Opposition, no one will guarantee that the state broadcaster will be fair with us,” Mr Fearne argued.
“We therefore have to ensure that our means of communication are strong enough for our message to reach all Malta and Gozo.”
Malta’s media landscape, which is dominated by politically-owned news platforms, is unique across the EU.
A 2016 assessment of the country’s media pluralism and freedom by the Centre for Media Pluralism and Media Freedom found that the country was a medium risk, with significant concerns about public broadcasting's independence and lack of a media literacy policy for citizens.
Labour’s foray into English language news
The Labour Party already has Maltese language news platforms through its ONE website, radio and TV stations.
Mr Fearne’s suggestion for it to have an English language news website harks back to an earlier attempt by the party to crack the English language news market.
In 2001, the Labour Party had launched the website Maltastar. Its first-ever editor was Joseph Muscat, who at the time worked as a journalist with Labour-owned media.
However, Maltastar struggled after Dr Muscat was elected to the European Parliament in 2004 and eventually closed down.
One week to leadership race
Labour Party members will vote to decide who will replace Dr Muscat as party leader next week. Two men – Mr Fearne and Labour MP Robert Abela – are contesting the post.
Dr Abela has focused much of his campaign on the party grassroots and is considered the underdog in the race. Mr Fearne, who also serves as deputy prime minister, has secured the backing of many of his cabinet colleagues.
A number of those colleagues, including ministers Edward Zammit Lewis, Owen Bonnici and Ian Borg, were in Żurrieq to endorse him during the Saturday evening activity.
“You know me because I am a true Labourite,” Mr Fearne told the crowd. “Let us not be ashamed of saying that we will continue to win elections”.