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Karl Schembri
The Institute of Maltese Journalists is awaiting more information about the exchange of emails between the Prime Minister’s Communications Coordinator, Alan Camilleri, and the Independent on Sunday editor before declaring itself on the issue that saw a journalist derided for asking questions about the government’s economic advisors.
Chairman Malcolm Naudi, told MaltaToday that the institute met Camilleri briefly last week but was expecting to receive more information from the newspaper in its “investigation” into the matter following the concerned journalist’s complaint filed two weeks ago.
The Malta Independent is now seeking legal advice about releasing e-mails sent by its staff to the Office of the Prime Minister about the matter.
So far the prime minister has defended his coordinator’s email by saying that he was reacting to what he deemed to be unfair questions but the institute feels that “prima facie the journalist was not treated as he should have been”.
Naudi said the institute will be following up the issue in the coming days.
Camilleri had reacted to journalist Charlot Zahra’s questions about the government’s economic advisors by sending a terse email to his editor earlier this month.
“Look at the questions I’m getting from your journalists,” he wrote. “Are they by any chance the future editors of Maltastar.”
Prime Minister Lawrence Gonzi was unapologetic when asked to comment by MaltaToday: “My communications coordinator was complaining about the way certain questions were being made, and also about the way in which what I said in an interview I gave was twisted with comments that shouldn’t have been made. My communications coordinator’s comment was that these things shouldn’t happen and I agree with his comment.”
karl@newsworksltd.com
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