With the advent of social media, even those with little grasp of this inexpensive but powerful tool, has turned into a micro media house. Users convey every kind of information and vent all sorts of opinions. Some could be classified as informative, interesting, correct and accurate; others are mischievous, mean or even defamatory. There is no doubt that these micro media houses offer new challenges, yet also an opportunity to promote the well-being of society, if and when used well.
These micro media houses also pose a challenge to the established media houses notwithstanding that, in the last decade or so, these have substantially improved their efforts and their content. Unfortunately, this cannot be said of a couple of prime-time television programmes, particularly on TVM, which are well past their use-by date. To my mind, however, this is more a reflection of our society than on the programmes themselves.
The media directly impacts trends and people’s inclinations, and plays a very important role in a vibrant democracy. Viewers, listeners and readers are constantly in search of the latest news. There is no room for mediocre media houses or media houses that base their stories on spin and fail to inform their patrons with substance. Sooner or later, such media houses will have to face the music or die a natural death.
During a recent interview conducted by Prof Andrew Azzopardi on Radju Malta, Prime Minister Dr Joseph Muscat prematurely announced that he will step aside before the coming general election, set for 2022. It is very true that Dr Muscat has always maintained that he wanted to serve one term in opposition and two consecutive terms as prime minister. But announcing that he will be sticking to his promise early in the second term in office has created unnecessary tensions and gratuitous instability within the PL folds. This will undoubtedly bear negatively on the day-to-day running of the Islands. Government needs to be focused on administration to ensure political stability, necessary to sustain economic growth.
The media has captured the statement made by the Prime Minister, with some reporting more exhaustively than others. Some of the latter ones opted to spin that said by the Prime Minister to make it fit their agenda. The statement also caught on the micro media, and various platforms started to jockey for the pole position for candidates aspiring for the post of Dr Muscat. That stated by the Prime Minister did not go unnoticed in the folds of the PL either, with immediate reactions from within the different factions in the party.
This has led the Prime Minister to backtrack on his promise and, in a recent Sunday morning PL activity, declared that he was moved by the number of callers and loyal PL supporters who had urged him to stay. Dr Muscat must have realised that his statement has stoked the fire which, if unattended, will turn into a conflagration. This forced Dr Muscat to pledge that he will continue to serve to finish his political commitment.
Dr Muscat’s statement whetted the appetite for aspiring and other contenders to make their initial moves known within the structures and with influential activists of the PL. But in the process, like in most other contests, daggers were drawn out from their scabbards. Power-hungry contenders and others within the PL will stop at nothing, further whetted by the probability that the coming general election will once again be won by the PL, albeit with a smaller margin for the third term in office.
After the second devastating electorate defeat at the polls, the new PN leadership team has vowed to reach former PN activists who, for one or more reasons, had abandoned the PN and switched to the PL. Since our community is a small one, people are easily identified. Some of the switchers facilitated matters when they made their switch known to the general public, and thus to the former and current PN administrations.
But then within the electorate there is another growing group of people who switch from one party to another. The floaters are growing in numbers and they cast their vote to the political party who they think is faring better. The floaters shift their preferences from one political to another and, on occasion, they make up their mind on an issue which may even crop up just weeks before the electorate is invited to cast the vote.
If it is to make any headway, the PN has to strive to convey its message through all avenues possible. Preaching to the converted will not give the PN any fighting chance to win the coming elections. The PN has to stop from shooting itself in the foot. It has to stop begrudging former PN supporters and activists who had left the PN or had switched to the PL in a very public manner. The PN must take all the opportunities which arise and participate in all debates to which it is invited. Being selective as to when and where to go will be limiting the possibility to convey the party message to the people on the other side of the fence.
A political party which is striving to win the forthcoming elections has to, without further delay, embrace the challenge and endeavour to convey the message to all the electorate. This is the only way possible to gain the support of those who do not share the same convictions.
gvella@melita,com