Decency? From Saviour Balzan, Julia Farrugia and Matthew Vella? I don’t think so.
I am glad to see that Fr Savio Vella, who said the funeral mass for Nicholas Gera earlier today, has called for decent and dignified silence on the matter and for an end to gossip and speculation.
The sad thing is that Malta Today has used its report of this sermon, and the request for silence, as a peg on which to hang its rehashed salacious slander.
Then God help anyone who reminds their readers that Malta Today reporter Julia Farrugia’s father – Labour minister Karmenu Vella’s driver at the time – was named under oath by Gianni Psaila (Il-Pupa) as one of those who shot at the Tarxien PN Club in December 1986, a couple of days before Raymond Caruana was killed with the same gun at Gudja.
If you do that, Ms Farrugia will go to the police, file a civil suit, and call a press conference on the steps of the law courts, complete with a video camera to film her crocodile tears and sobbing voice.
And if you happen to write anything – you know, like facts, for instance – about Saviour Balzan, he will ring almost anyone you know who he imagines can put pressure on you to stop. He will also go ballistic, spit furiously, and embark on a crazed crusade of revenge that ties his entire newspaper to his own personal vendettas.
But other people don’t count, and slandering even the dead is fine with that crowd of useless vipers.
Saviour Balzan was perfectly happy to take Claire Zammit Xuereb’s money in sponsorship – through The Palace hotel – for his dreadful interview show, Reporter, when nobody else would take it on. Now he has his staff ‘reporters’ making diabolical insinuations about her and her husband, claiming that they are based on what ‘sources’ told them.
Indeed.
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Daphne, how would you describe the influence that curiosity appears to dominate Maltese persons?
I must admit that I am also asking myself questions about this case. I also admit that Agatha Cristie was a fav read of mine in my earlier carefree days.
Tghid Julia Farrugia se terggha tmur fuq l-ghatba tal-Qorti biex tghidilna inqabzitx dik “il-linja fina hafna fil-gurnalizmu Malti” b’dak li nkiteb fuq il-MaltaToday?
Two words: Vile creatures..
Why was the sermon delivered in English?
[Daphne – Almost certainly because the mass was said in English, out of respect for those members of the congregation who cannot understand Maltese.]
And why shouldn’t it have been?
What difference does it make to you?
The dearth of real journalism in this country is enough to make you weep – in fact, it does! Most journalists seem capable only of attending a press conference and regurgitating the handouts. I suspect that is pretty much how they got through Uni (those that did, naturally).
Our so-called journos should be investigating why Maltese soccer has gone to the dogs, why giving to NGOs has almost become a racket, why driving standards are so abysmal, why our English has become almost unintelligible and many other non-political (though there’s room for those too) subjects,
Instead of snide remarks about a personal double tragedy.
It’s very long odds that it’ll happen, but I hold out a vague hope that I may humbly begin to redress the balance myself one day.
What I find even more worrying than the rampant and unashamed speculation by the mainstream media is the fact that nobody seems to see anything inappropriate in the parallel investigations going on in at least half a dozen newspapers.
It’s not just eyewitnesses in one pub or another that are being quoted – here we have information (accurate or otherwise) about where blood was found, autopsy results, key witness and family statements leaked to the papers while a police investigation is being carried out.
[Daphne – Nothing is being leaked to the newspapers, Russell. If you read carefully, you will see that what the newspapers are reporting is gossip and hearsay. The only police officers who know the details are those actually delegated to the investigative team. They are under strict instructions not to talk at all, and they do not even need instructions, because the investigative process depends on details being kept secret unless it is necessary to reveal some to bring in more information. The ‘sources’ and ‘police sources’ these reporters are quoting are people who are themselves picking up hearsay and gossip. This hearsay and gossip is then put between quote marks and attributed to a source or better still, because it gives it more credence, a ‘police source’. But it’s still rubbish – obviously. I agree with your remark below that it is like going a century back in time.]
It’s like some time-warp back to Victorian London or 1940s Hollywood. How can this do anything but prejudice the investigation? How can the rest of us feel we could every be guaranteed a fair trial in this country when the police and media behave in this way?
The police should have had a press release/conference where they confirm the circumstances surrounding the deaths, appeal for witnesses and inform the media that the case is subject to an ongoing investigation.
If the relatives of the victims feel the need to release a statement, they should do so preferably through a lawyer or the police and restrict it to expressing sorrow and appealing for privacy.
If the famly goes into the details of what happened that too will prejudice the investigation.
And as for the MaltaToday chap Matthew Vella’s comments, yes people are intrigued by murder stories – and this is quite an unusual one for Malta – but surely the reporting should follow the police investigation, not run ahead of it.
Hell, Michael Jackson’s death was mega news but the majority of the details surrounding the homicide were only reported as they came out in the trial.
“Hell, Michael Jackson’s was mega news but the majority of the details surrounding the homicide were only reported as they came out in the trial.”
I agree, but prior to the trial, there was a lot of speculations as well.
[Daphne – Michael Jackson was not a private person. He was one of history’s biggest stars, who depended on his fame to sell his music.]
You know that I don’t like you, and that I know that you don’t like me either etc etc.
But that is beside the point this time, because this time you are 100% right and so I ask you to give me some space on this blog of yours.
For even if I am in complete disagreement with you on many, if not most issues, and my opinion of you is what it is, this time I feel compelled to write to endorse your opinion and join you in your condemnation of the despicable attitude of the pseudo-journalists you mention in the blog.
Not that you will appreciate this, of course, and there is the possibility you will be ironic, cynical, sarcastic, or worse, but that is immaterial, really.
What matters is that I want to agree with you on this issue because you are objectively right.
To be frank with you, I don’t have anything negative to say about Ms Farrugia. Actually I sympathise with her, and no matter what you say I will disagree with your unjustified stance in her regard. But with regard to the other two “gentlemen”, I concur with you, These pseudo-journalists should be condemned by one and all.
I will not wish you a happy new year or tell you to keep it up or such other niceties, and don’t expect or want any from you either. But I will ask you to allow me to say on your blog that I agree with you that the families of the two victims ought to be shown respect.
They should be allowed to live through their sorrow with dignity. Balzan and Vella should be ashamed of themselves, learn from their repeated mistakes and stop behaving like vampires.
A few months ago I wrote a letter to In-Nazzjon saying you are the Maltese Ambrose Bierce. Quite a few reasons induced me to compare you to that notorious American. But mostly it’s because of his The Devil’s Dictionary. There’s a good definition of “Reporter” in that Dictionary:
‘Reporter: A writer who guesses his way to the truth and dispels it with a tempest of words.’
Perhaps many “journalists”, including the two so-called “gentlemen” you mention above, should reflect on this definition.
I hope the two families are allowed to grieve and mourn in dignified serenity. Only God can understand their deep pain, and probably all of us should just be quiet and respectful.
Ultimately, to borrow Shakepeare’s words, ‘truth will come
to light; murder cannot be hid long; a man’s son
may, but at the length truth will out.’
Fr. Savio is a gentleman. The mass was beautifully said. God bless you, Tanya. You’ll be in our thoughts.
…and today we’ll be having Bondi +.
@Harry Purdie
Better still hdura assoluta
Weirdly enough, I came across this video in the comments portal of the Malta Today website. I urge people to share it accordingly as a form of protest against unethical media standards, such as those which have been displayed by sites such as Malta Today, timesofmalta.com, and, of course, Maltastar:
http://mattborgi.com/2012/01/04/duncan-zammit-nicholas-gera-double-murder-protest-at-unethical-media/
It is hard not to speculate and think of what might have happened. I found myself easily making my own assumptions and theories and drafting a list of questions.
Nonetheless, I would not dare post a comment questioning such on any online paper or even worse on Facebook.
It’s incredible how people just post questions or share articles on FB and start off a discussion.
Worse still are the sympathy messages……. having a quick read through the FB page of individuals or relatives you will find common names with the same message posted on both profiles.
A quick fix copy/paste solution and some sort of self gratification in having your name visible with the rest!
Life goes on for us, a couple of days and it’s business as usual, yet for anyone involved in any health issue or tragedy, time will/might slowly heal yet not make them forget.
[Daphne – Time doesn’t heal, JPS. Anyone who has experienced personal tragedy will know that even after decades, you might be driving along as usual and find yourself hit suddenly and seemingly out of the blue by a wave of sorrow. You just have to keep it to yourself so that you don’t come across like one of those obsessive loons who are still talking about it years later. And that’s why the myth grows that time heals – because those who will never heal just keep quiet about it and get on with it. Personal tragedies leave their living victims with a lifelong sense of having been cheated of the ‘what might have been’, and this is much, much worse when the tragedy is the result of some seemingly insignificant decision or series of choices.]
The least we can do is show respect and we can all do our bit and immediately stop thinking on why/how and who – me included.
The “lanzit” of some people is truly incredible. Just have a look at this post in MaltaToday, it left me speechless:
Posted by: HalfEUCitizen — 05/01/2012 14:24:23
You can always depend on one thing when it comes to Maltese – they always know which side of their bread is buttered up. The cover up is well and truly underway and now its the public demanding to know what happened that is under investigation. I think we should wait for the charade to play out and then see if the bozos trying to suck up to power friends if they will be so vociferous when the whole affair is whitewashed, the police live up to what is now their emblem (the dumb, deaf and blind monkeys) and justice in Malta would slide even further into the shit its in. Last year we had another murder, when a totally sober , fully attentive, blue-eyed friend of the mafia’s ruling elite killed another human being. Within 24hrs he had his yacht back and was declared totally innocent, despite conflicting evidence from those present. Curiosity ? Is that what justice has been reduce ton in Malta. People have a right to know – its their country. The state WORKS in their name. Just because you ‘inherited’ a ministry from ‘daddy’ – this is still a REPRESENTATIVE democracy – and that means you represent us. So SHUT UP with the BS and give us the truth and satisfaction that justice is equal for all.
http://www.maltatoday.com.mt/en/newsdetails/news/national/Commissioner-of-Police-Crime-conference-would-have-been-unnecessary-201215
Sounds like the prize for indecency goes to The Times today. The article about the legal aspects of self-defence and homicide is the worst seen so far – excluding L-Orizzont obviously.
You forgot to mention the ‘branding’ using a sensational headline and a steak knife graphic.
‘Tasteless’ doesn’t even begin to describe it.
The family isn’t really doing much to stop gossip. Their behaviour is encouraging it if anything.
daphne……….i love you!!!!