Inviting selected journalists to events attended by ministers did not amount to good practice and should be discouraged, the Commissioner for Standards in Public Life, George Hyzler, said in his first decision on Tuesday.

The Times of Malta had complained last November that Tourism Minister Konrad Mizzi failed to inform it and, possibly, other media houses, about an event at the Malta Film Commission where he gave interviews only to One News and PBS.

This newspaper considered such conduct to breach the ministerial code of conduct. Article 10 lays down that “ministers shall inform the public and the media of ministerial activities on a regular basis and in an organised manner.”

Among other things, the minister argued that the article in question did not require ministers “to invite the Times of Malta, or any other specific organisation, to all events attended or hosted by ministers”. He also noted that the Times of Malta “has been openly and persistently hostile in his regard”.

Dr Mizzi said that if ministers were bound to inform all media equally at all times, then answering media questions (other than by official press statements) would also be prohibited.

Read: Konrad Mizzi - how to avoid the press 

In his considerations, Dr Hyzler noted that what constituted information “on a regular basis” and “in an organised manner” gave rise to ambiguity and uncertainty.

Referring to the case raised by Times of Malta in its complaint, Dr Hyzler noted that the two media houses present were the State broadcasting station and another affiliated to the political party in government. 

“This, apart from other considerations, raises the question of unfair advantage that was given to PBS and, more relevantly, to One News, over other media houses in terms of real-time reporting,” he remarked.

The commissioner did not find Dr Mizzi in breach of the ministerial code of ethics. However, he let it be known that, in a meeting with the minister, he “openly” expressed his concerns on the practice adopted.

Dr Hyzler said the minister insisted the complaint made by Times of Malta had no basis in fact or at law. 

Dr Mizzi also declared that, “in a spirit of collaboration and thankful for the mediation by the Commissioner for Standards in Public Life”, he “shall seek that the ministry’s communication team maintains an open line of dialogue with a wide representation of the local media and shall, as far as practical, invite such representation to all official major events organised by the ministry”.

The commissioner expressed the view that, as a matter of good practice, ministers and parliamentary secretaries should adopt “a non-discriminatory approach in dealing with the press and that a more transparent system of invitations should be put in place on a formal basis in order to avoid any further equivocality”.

Dr Hyzler said that, in line with the mission of his office to promote the raising of standards by people in public life, he proposed to issue in due course guidelines on the application of article 10 of the ministerial code of ethics.