Charlot Zahra
A code of ethics that is being proposed for the Labour Party media suggests scrapping the notorious doorstepping interviews, making scenes of hapless ministers and politicians being chased around by pesky reporters for their comments a thing of the past.
A provision in the code which was presented to Labour leader Joseph Muscat yesterday by the commission that prepared it specifically states that “No interviews shall be obtained by pressure, deceit or harassment of particular individual.”
This form of television interview, which was honed to a fine art by journalists such as Simone Cini in 1996 and, more recently, by the indefigatible Charlon Gouder since 2005, had its entertaining value besides providing political ammunition in exposing the uneasiness of particular politicians when asked about hot topics.
Among Gouder’s memorable exploits, there was former junior minister Tony Abela, who was once even chased outside parliament in the searing rain, former transport minister Censu Galea, and former PN secretary general Joe Saliba just as he disembarked from the private boat of his close friend Zaren Vassallo.
Moreover, the practice of recording telephone interviews without the journalist seeking the prior consent of the interviewee – a practice that has repeatedly earned One News the condemnation of the Press Ethics Commission – will also become a thing of the past.
With regards to discussion programmes, presenters are being obliged to “weigh their words carefully in order not to insult other people”, as well as to pay attention to control “words, allegations or unethical behaviour” by the audience.
Carmen Sammut chaired the commission that formulated the code of ethics, which included Peppi Azzopardi, Charles Flores, Roger Mifsud and Joe Vella
“This code seeks to answer some of the basic questions that every person who works in the media makes from time to time,” Sammut said.
“We hope that these developments are felt well in the Labour Party media in the next few months and years,” Sammut said.
Evarist Bartolo highlighted the fact that since the political party media were the continuation of the politics with others means, the political parties themselves have to be ethical as a result. “It takes two to tango,” Bartolo added.
Labour leader Joseph Muscat said that the need for a code of ethics for the party had not only been his own conviction, but it was also one of the recommendations made in the analysis reports commissioned by the party after the 2008 and 2003 electoral defeats.
He said the party would be implementing the commission’s most controversial recommendations that in court proceedings, with the exception of a defined list of public persons, names of the accused would only be mentioned at the end of a compilation of evidence if the case goes to a trial.
“The people are simply fed up of having everything depicted white or black,” Muscat said. “This is a cultural change that we have to work on.”
Muscat added that he expected “much higher ethical standards” from PBS.

czahra@mediatoday.com.mt

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