The problem with Maltese newspapers on the issue is that through most of their reports and articles they seem to be acting with the same ethical criteria used by journalists from the Sun or OK magazine instead of The Times or the Guardian.

I didn’t expect anything better from Malta Today obviously, but other newspapers should stick to hard evidence.

It is not a matter reporting about the rich and famous and what not.

The Kardashians are different to the Xuereb family since the Kardashians live to be in the limelight while the others are a family of an entrepreneur. You don’t see Bill Gates having a reality show.

It all boils don to the fact that through the years certain newspapers have built their reputation by reporting the hard facts independently and in an unbiased manner and therefore their editors should not allow speculation and rumors to be printed, or sensationalist interviews like the one above for that matter with the sole intent to sell more papers

Not really. But let’s not quarrel.

At this moment, it’s best to focus our attention on the damage these Wise Guys of the Printed Word are causing to the profession they claim to belong to.

May Balzan, Vella and others of the same ilk join this Club of Enlightened Journalists.

May they stop wreaking havoc in other people’s lives.

[Daphne – I have always based my opinions on facts.]

He did say exactly that. The comment is still there if you’d like to check for yourself.

The decision of some family members to speak to the media is, in my view at least, regretful.

Some may see it as an attempt to control the agenda although one can’t possibly imagine the agony they are going through.

Even so, it is now increasingly more difficult to blame the public for discussing the case. Murders such as these can never be a ‘private’ matter.

Facts do not usually speak for themselves.

They have to be organised, sometimes discarded if they are or appear irrelevant, explained and a narrative is then weaved together.

That is why historians come to very different conclusions. Historians do not spoon feed readers but also help them reach their own conclusions.

Having said this, it seems quite premature to speculate on the tragedy of Sliema. What appeared an open and shut case is now looking less so.

“J Degabriele

Today, 11:10

“I feel this is the time to allow the police to conduct their investigations unhindered,” says Mr. Xuereb. And he is right. So he shouldn’t give any interviews either describing events to which he was not a witness!”

I am sure that Professor’s Fenech academic track-record speaks for itself and being an ex-student of his, I can only give praise to his academic abilities.

They only mention you when there is a report on a court case.

Today, they referred to Josanne Cassar as a blogger, for goodness sake. I wonder if anyone reads her blogs. She aims to promote her blog as frequently as possible on Facebook, apparently to no avail.

I always read this blog first everyday, before surfing timesofmalta.com.

Some printed papers are no more than cheap tabloids bent on speculation and the theory that “bad news sells” and in the absence of bad news, manufacturing some, helps.

The absence of police statements ahead of L-Orizzont can be explained very simply. The Police themselves have first to listen, understand and reach their own conclusions before informing the public with facts.

The comments on L-Orizzont have been denied by the person reported to have (from Rabat) reached the scene of the incident ‘before the police arrived from their station which is only five minutes away. This paper from (supposedly independent) GWU had to inject some indirect political flavour even at a time of tragedy which hit two families.

Yet, Professor Fenech prefers this type of reporting to prudent, responsible and factual presentation of events.