I am sure that the PBS head of news Natalino Fenech is expecting me to hit back at him after he chose to use up precious time at PBS to hit out at me. He should thank his lucky stars that PBS does not mind using public funds to fight personal battles. He stated that a letter he sent in (which by the way is full of crass banalities) was not published in MaltaToday.
It is being published today, two Midweek editions after the letter was posted and received. That time period is dictated by the press law, and Mr Fenech should know that. I do not censor letters Mr Fenech, not even when they are full of bile and stupidities.
I can live with all this, but what really amuses me is Mr Fenech’s reference to an out-of-court settlement with millionaire Bertie Mizzi. He said that since I apologised to Mr Mizzi, “one does not have to be a genius to understand why the national television station chose to seek the opinion of experts, rather than that of MaltaToday.”
He was referring to a Dissett programme where PBS invited two aquaculture experts close to the fish industry, but nobody from MaltaToday, which has been reporting on the bluefin tuna industry, and the battle between environmentalists and the big industry that sustains the farming of tuna.
Well, I have yet to see what Bertie Mizzi has to do with a fish called Tuna, but perhaps someone can help me out on this one.
What Natalino Fenech did not know is that the libel suits with Mr Bertie Mizzi were settled by my lawyer because at the time I had no concentration to focus on my work, let alone on my court proceedings – my wife, by the way, had just passed away.
I am sure Natalino does not really care about this fact, but then I am happy that people do not really change all that much in times of crisis.
But just in case Mr Fenech would like to know something about the libel cases he has kindly mentioned, the cases he makes reference to related to the following:
1) That I opined that Bertie Mizzi did not merit an OBE;
2) That Bertie was a Mintoffian collaborator – I based this on the biography of Edgar Mizzi and his reference to Bertie;
3) Bertie Mizzi took offence at a letter that referred to him as fleecing the Santa Maria Residents.
I informed my lawyer Dr Toni Abela that I did not feel strongly about the content of these suits, and that I needed time for myself and that I was willing to apologise and retract my statements. I did not stop other libel suits, such as with Dom Mintoff, Norman Lowell, Louis Buhagiar and Peter Fenech.
One other more important thing is that I have not discontinued publishing stories that involved Bertie Mizzi – and these include countless articles about his business interests and controversial projects.
But this is not the point; the point is that if every person who has been sued for libel, or who has apologised in a libel case is not to be taken seriously by the PBS newsroom I suggest that Natalino Fenech avoids involving President Fenech Adami, Dr Lawrence Gonzi and Dr Joseph Muscat and practically the whole political class.
The problem with Natalino is not Natalino, but a national station that allows the PBS newsroom (with its very clear obligations to the Constitution) to be managed and handled by someone who allows his likes and dislikes to get in the way of his public position of trust.
The difference between Natalino and myself is that when I interview people on Reporter, which is aired on PBS, I operate within the strict parameters of a national station. When I write in MaltaToday I act in the way journalists and opinion writers are supposed to be, irreverent and inquisitive.
In MaltaToday I am not paid by public funds or people’s taxes and do not have Constitutional obligations. When I interview on PBS I am aware of my obligations.
But let’s forget about all this crap. This is Christmas after all, and I still believe this is the time for forgiveness and understanding. I understand Mr Fenech’s mindset and though he will not apologise or change his ways, I wish him a merry Christmas.
Let us hope both of us will be kinder and nicer to each other from next year. And I promise that next year, I will address him as Dr Fenech, and not Mr Fenech.
A merry Christmas to all our readers, especially Mr Fenech!
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He should thank his lucky stars that PBS does not mind using public funds to fight personal battles. He stated that a letter he sent in (which by the way is full of crass banalities) was not published in MaltaToday. 
