In search of the truth

The way the New Year's Day tragic double murder was reported has been brought into question, with the issue arising on whether journalists are turning from mere reporters of the news, into investigators. And a shocked society asks: are the online punters and bloggers playing God? Is this 'trial' to be decided by the media rather than in magisterial inquiry?

These are legitimate concerns to be scrutinised, but the overriding journalistic value remains that people have a right to know exactly what happened, and the media has a duty to probe. Most of all, the media has a duty to see that justice is seen being done. Accordingly, calls by a select number of journalists for some sort of self-censorship on the coverage of this double murder are suspect. We fully concur with Mrs Tanja Gera's insistence that she wants to know the truth. The double murder is in the public domain, but not only: its bizarre siting in the tranquil environs of Sliema - a town that has seen a mere 12 murders in the past two centuries - preoccupies us as human beings in trying to restore this shattered peace back to normality, by searching for the truth.

The question remains: is the media chasing the truth and trying to catch up with the police investigators, or is it attempting to satisfy its readers' and audience's curiosity? There is a dividing line between informing and speculating. We certainly intend to carry on our duty to inform with facts.

The reporting of this tragedy has also shed light on the kind of hysteria precipitated by the way this tragedy broke some social norm, inciting the public to ask questions over how and why such a horrific murder could take place.

These events even question the value of omertà and the protection of family honour, so prevalent in our society. Traditionally, people kept their opinions to themselves or discussed them privately. So what has changed in the reporting? Two things: the press has become more daring in reporting all possible angles of a story; and the new digital media of online comment-boards, blogs, Facebook bookmarking and commentary, and Twitter micro-blogging have given countless individuals an opportunity to become an opinionist.

Everyone has their own opinion and idea for a motive to this crime, risking the impression that the case can be solved by the click of a mouse rather than after a professional investigation, during which no stone is left unturned.

The absence of a police conference to explain the crime to a baffled and stunned society has led people to question why the police do not interact better with the media. The lack of a conference has also fuelled the speculation and conspiracy theories. This matter, even at this late hour, can be addressed by the police, during which they could make the hard evidence they have so far uncovered publicly known. In so doing, they will leave less room for speculation. It seems bizarre that it had to be the press to reveal that the double murder had nothing to do with a burglary, and that a possible crime of passion had taken place in a community unused to early morning burglaries, or worse still, murders.

The Gera funeral homily and the appeals of the families asking for the media to be more prudent and indeed silent are understandable. Yet people remain perplexed how relatives can ask the media to remain silent, while consenting to appear on national television when a dignified silence would perhaps be of greater balm to the bereavement these families are enduring.

There remain countless details of this case that have still not come out in the open and which the police may eventually expose, not to satisfy people's curiosity but for people to be assured that justice is being done. The central question remains: what was the mysterious motive behind this murder? Did the two know each other? Did they have any connection at all? We understand that no theory is being excluded. Mrs Gera is right to complain that no information is being passed onto her. The people are being kept in the dark. They have a right to know and the media has a duty to probe, in the hope that justice will be done.