GWU distances itself from l-Orizzont editorials demanding journalists’ heads

The General Workers’ Union has disassociated itself from two editorials published in its daily newspaper L-Orizzont that called for the resignation of journalists who have criticised the Labour government.

In an editorial on Tuesday penned by editor Josef Caruana, L-Orizzont singled out four journalists from the Times of Malta and the Malta Independent for “writing false stories and messing up facts…so as to hinder Maltese progress”.

“As Joseph Muscat said, we must all come together for the sake of national unity, so that Malta becomes the best country in the world,” it said. “We cannot achieve this noble aim if we are being weighed down by traitors and the diabolical establishment.”

This morning, L-Orizzont published another editorial that once again called on specific journalists to “bow their heads in the face of the public’s election verdict and disappear from journalism”.

“The time has come for reconciliation and unity, but before this can happen the cleansing process must begin. That way we can continue heading towards our country’s best days.”

Prime Minister Joseph Muscat was asked about thee editorials at a press conference earlier today, and responded that he “did not agree with the language used”.

A few hours later, the GWU insisted that its newspaper’s editorials do not reflect the union’s own positions.

“The GWU disassociates itself from the editorials that included inappropriate comments against journalists from other media houses,” it said. “The GWU has always stressed for the need of unity and is against everything that brings division.

“While we understand that newspaper have a right to express their beliefs, one must understand that those expressions are not the official opinions or guidelines of the GWU. Although the GWU has been unjustly attacked by some of the journalists mentioned in the editorials, it has always taken a step back from publicly condemning them individually.”