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Editorial independence from the parties and the institutions as well as fresh, reader-centred stories will be the hallmark of the new Sunday newspaper in Maltese, illum, which will be on the newsstands from 5 November.
Speaking at the launch of the zero issue last Wednesday at Gianpula, the managing director of Mediatoday, Roger de Giorgio, said illum, which will have Kurt Sansone as its first editor, will break new ground in journalism in Maltese.
“We are looking to a new way of doing journalism,” de Giorgio said. “We want it to be a newspaper that informs its readers without fear or favour, independently of political parties, commercial pressure and institutions, while allowing them to reach their conclusions.”
Market research carried out by Mediatoday – also the publisher of MaltaToday and Business Today – shows an overwhelming preference for an independent weekly in Maltese.
“The ethos of this paper, encouraged by the market survey results, will be its guaranteed independence and the space it gives to civic society,” de Giorgio said. “Editorial decisions will not be subjected to any party, union or commercial pressures. Its hallmark will be its diversity from what is presently being offered in local journalism in Maltese, which is very charged politically, with little or no distinction being made between journalism and politics.
“Many of the stories are simply political commentaries giving no space to opposing points of view, no pluralism. The new way of doing media attempts to do away with this outdated form of journalism. Equally pungent, inquisitive and investigative as MaltaToday but with its own identity and exclusive stories, illum will be tackling the concerns of ordinary working people in an informed and no-holds-barred manner.”
Among the guests present for the launch were the secretary general of the Malta Labour Party, Jason Micallef, the Nationalist Party’s director of information Gordon Pisani, Maltacom CEO David Kay, the Managing Director of Allied Newspapers Adrian Hillman, advertising agents and sales executives.
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