OSCE Representative on Freedom of the Media meets with Ambassador of Malta

On 19 February 2021, the OSCE Representative on Freedom of the Media (RFoM), Teresa Ribeiro, met with Ambassador Natasha Meli Daudey to discuss the current state of media freedom in Malta and areas in which the Representative can provide assistance.

Ribeiro and Meli Daudey discussed the status of the ongoing investigation into the murder of Maltese investigative journalist Daphne Caruana Galizia in 2017. Noting the important steps taken by the Maltese authorities in launching a public inquiry into the case, Ribeiro emphasized the need for ensuring the full independence of the investigation, for all the facts to be brought to light and for all those responsible, including perpetrators and masterminds, to face justice. Ribeiro also welcomed the decriminalization of defamation in Malta and encouraged implementation practices ensuring that journalists can work unhindered, free of undue interference.

Ribeiro and Meli Daudey also discussed challenges in countering mis- and disinformation, the current efforts taken in Malta to mitigate the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on the work of the media, as well as possibilities for co-operation in the area of promoting media literacy.