Labour, Nationalist Parties and IĠM condemn derogatory comments against PBS news head

Both the Nationalist and Labour Party, together with the Institute for Maltese Journalists (IĠM), have condemned derogatory comments left by Godfrey Leone Ganado against PBS Head of News Norma Saliba.

The comments were posted on a Facebook video livestreamed by the Nationalist Party, in which Saliba was interviewing Opposition Leader Bernard Grech.

The Labour Party said that the attack is a symptom of "unbridled partisanship" promoted by the Opposition, with Bernard Grech instigating such behaviour. 

"Divisive discourse, class attitude and attacking anyone with a different opinion are the rule of the day for Bernard Grech's faction. What we saw this morning against the same journalist he invited to interview is nothing but a symptom of this."

Grech took to Facebook himself to condemn the comments, expressing solidarity with the TV presenter.

"Criticism is always accepted - it's an important concept in a democratic environment that respects freedom of expression. However, abuse is never tolerated," he wrote.

IĠM, who was contacted by Saliba over the footage, further criticised the comments and called on authorities to strongly condemn the attacks.

Saliba requested Leone Ganado to withdraw his comments and apologise - IĠM joined in this call, while demanding that action be taken by the Hate Crime and Speech Unit.

Leone Ganada subsequently apologised for the comments, saying that he will "not go over the decorous line" in future comments.

"We reiterate our call on the authorities to strongly condemn these attacks on the journalistic body. Not condemning such attacks will make you an accomplice. Not condemning such attacks conveys a message that these things are acceptable," IĠM stated.

Meanwhile, the institute said that the police force is investigating previous attacks and threats on other journalists.

The public can send screenshots of similar comments to [email protected] to help address similar cases.