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Muscat’s personal assistant in move for head of One News
Labour leader’s PA to be moved to head of news at One News.
10 July 2011, 12:00am
Julia Farrugia
Julia Farrugia
2 min read
The Labour party’s media officer, Mark Farrugia, who today serves as Opposition leader Joseph Muscat’s personal assistant is to be appointed head of news at Labour TV station One.
Several employees at One News have already been informed of the impending appointment, and preparations are underway inside the newsroom for the handover from Labour MP Evarist Bartolo – appointed this year as Head of News – to Farrugia. The handover is expected to be formalized in August.
Farrugia was one of the first group of journalists in the Labour party media, employed since the 1980s. In the 1990s he was appointed director of information and was the only person from the media team who was employed in a full-time position with the Labour party.
He boasts an excellent memory for political quotes and soundbites, and the unfulfilled government promises that Labour feeds upon in its political arsenal. But Farrugia has always kept a low profile staying away from the cameras, which is why his appointment is a delicate one for the party.
But the move is also a sign that Labour is intensifying its media effort ahead of the next general elections.
The move also opens up a new question as to who Muscat will appoint as PA, and what new role will Evarist Bartolo be given. One party source said that where strategic party matters are concerned, Muscat’s personal assistant “can only be somebody who has been Labour since birth.”
Bartolo will in all probability be shifted onto the management of Labour’s English-language online website maltastar.com, which has now been performing poorly for quite some time. The website is being stewarded by Labour’s president Stefan Zrinzo Azzopardi, and editor Glenn Bedingfield.
Julia Farrugia is a former editor of Illum newspaper.
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It seems obvious that that such men in the street cannot distinguish between ,oderate and progressive. Perhaps he should seek an explanation from the Farrugia Clan.
Talking about airmalta & arriva, has anybody heard anything of substance that the gummy bears at milened had to say about these omportant issues.
Malta is now at a state of poor administration and a useless opposition.
These promotions expose how the PL lacks the integrity and the ambition to be a government in waiting.
They can't manage their own affairs, yet they expect the Maltese people to trust them with administrating this country.
At least we recognize that the Greek situation is not far away.
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Good move, and one that is urgently required. One News, especially One Radio news, is terrible, in both content and diction, as well as in presentation. Even in technical matters it is incompetent (varying volume constantly is one of them). So good luck Mark, i am sure you will make a success of it, and let's see the difference. And if Evasrist moves to Maltastar, let him please upgrade the site. It's old fashioned and needs re-vamping from the ground up.
As to the comments of our friends the Nazis out there who choose to live in blissful ignorance, it is the PN government's boat that is sinking. Unfortunately it will probably sink the whole island with it, and then its Greece all over again. A bloody hopeless government that can't get its act together, on any matter. Now even the much-boasted Arriva is a disaster.
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It seems like the PL and it's leadership are like a boat without a rudder.
maltastar is as disgraceful electronic media disaster as anyone can find.
It's web design is umprofessional and amateurish and its stories are extremely short to have any substance.
Most articles are left posted for days on end which give the impression that this media is at the mercy of its staff who can't be bothered to be competent.
One gets the feeling that incompetence is richly rewarded in this moderate and progressive party.
The gummy bears at milend have decided.
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@Bejn il linji...Kemm int funny siehbi...Ara veru Nazzjonalist Pur int jekk qed tghid li ma fadal xejn differenti bejn il PN u PL. Ara vera ma fadlilkomx xejn xi tghidu in nazzjonalisti. Meta qed taraw il vapur taghkom kwazi ergheq kollu qed tippruvaw tbellawa lin nies li il vapur tal PL qed jergheq wkoll....HALLUNA HABIB U KOMPLU EGHRQU SA L-AHHAR GO ABYSS TA KORRUZZJONI LI MLEJTU INTHOM!!!...bye bye PN
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@ milanist
Meta tkun fil gvern tkun medi taghmel il frejjeg , u ma jkollkox hin ghal dawn ic-cucati:)
Godfrey Grech •
Who needs maltastar.com when the maltatoday portal is doing so well?
mario grillo •
ara veru meta tkun fl-opposizzjoni ma' jkollokx x'taghmel ta!! haha
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xi haga trid taghmel.jekk smajt sew.intilfu voti mhux hazin u zgur li kul elezzjon tintrebah bis sahha tal media hekk jew hekk ma baqa xejn differenti bjn pl u pn
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Mark will certainly be an asset to move for head of One News He is intelligent and well organized .
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Has always struck me as a very efficient person.
Good luck in your new post!
Igor P. Shuvalov •
I'm sure that Bartolo's move to maltastar.com would give a much needed boost to this electronic newspaper.
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An intelligent and appropriate move.
Good luck Mark.
