Nationalist Party accuses PBS of gatekeeping during election campaign

The Nationalist Party has said that PBS, in their evening bulletin yesterday, censored the testimony delivered by the Egrant whistle-blower in Court.

The whistle-blower delivered her version of the facts in a court case yesterday, regarding payment for work for Pilatus Bank.

“This news was reported prominently by all newsrooms in the country except by the PL media, and the national station.”

In light of this, the PN sent a letter to Head of PBS Reno Bugeja, requesting an explanation, and asking for a remedy to be assured.

In their letter, the PN called this situation unacceptable, “more so during an electoral campaign, and you as the public service broadcaster - not the state broadcaster, have a clear obligation to correctly inform people regarding what is happening in our country without fear.”

The PN said that last Saturday, PBS also decided not to send journalists to cover a Partit Demokratiku press call, “when it was clear that Dr Godfrey Farrugia was going to be announced as a candidate,” adding that yesterday’s incident, “was an exercise in gatekeeping.”

“Yet again it is clear that the (PBS) criteria for news value is the same as that of the PL media. It is also clear that the PL partisan agenda is reflected in the choice as to what is aired and not aired on the national station. It is obvious that what is being aired is only that which is considered by the PL to be news.

“I would also like to remind you that PBS was quick to quote the Prime Minister with a clip in Brussels, where he tried to discredit the whistle-blower. This means that the PBS audience was already being given information regarding this person, yet for some reason only known to the national station, this information ceased.”

The PN reminded PBS that news should be provided fairly and without preference.

“It is clear that leaving such an important court story out was done as it would give credibility to the whistle-blower that the Prime Minister is trying to discredit.”

No news value - PBS

In reply, PBS head of news Reno Bugeja said that the case in question was a private matter between an employee and her employer and the case had nothing do with the Egrant allegations. Mr Bugeja said that the case carried no news value.

He said that when the woman had testified before the inquiry into those allegations, PBS had reported that fact.