This week’s cyber attack on blogger Manuel Delia’s blog was not an isolated incident but rather the latest link in a long chain of events.

The malicious DDoS attack, intended to cripple the website of a government critic, is concerning because it shows what lengths some individuals will go to, and how much money they are willing to spend in order to silence an uncomfortable voice.

Delia has accused the government of commissioning the attack which, he says, is being carried out by Ukrainian individuals. The government has naturally denied all involvement, and there is so far no information to back up Delia’s claims. But one must ask the question: who would have an interest in crippling the website of a government critic?

Daphne Caruana Galizia’s blog had come under a similar attack in March of last year. Back then it was also suspected that the government was behind the attack. (For those wanting to lay the blame on Adrian Delia, the PN leader was not even in the picture back then).

In both occasions, the government, while denying involvement, failed to assure those targeted that it would investigate these cyber attacks.

The DDoS attacks were not the only attempts to stifle freedom of speech.

Last week, political commentator Ranier Fsadni saw Facebook remove a piece in which talked about 17 Black after it was reported as spam. A number of other media people, including one of our own, also had their Facebook profiles hacked.

There are, of course, other forms of attacks on the press.  A number of journalists are regularly attacked by the government and by top government and Labour Party exponents.  Some journalists are often named and ridiculed in official government press releases.

Journalists are also often targeted by ministers’ lapdogs, who would rather spend their day trolling reporters on Facebook, rallying their supporters against the press, rather than actually doing what we the taxpayers are paying them to do.

Some of those who viciously attacked their media ‘colleagues’ were even promoted within the Office of the Prime Minister.

There also exists another form of bullying – SLAPP threats from big companies. While the recently revamped media law removed criminal libel and is generally favourable for the media trade, the government has been reluctant to act against SLAPP suits. 

The absurd media polarization in Malta has also always served as an enemy of free journalism. We still live in a country where, if you speak out against government corruption than you are a lackey serving the interests of the nationalist party. If you praise some government initiative or endorse some new civil liberties proposal then you are a branded a labourite, someone who kisses the PM’s behind. There were times when we were accused of being pro-PN and pro-PL on the same day.

Lately, the media has also been coming under fire from those who say they are fighting for freedom of expression and freedom of the press.  The attacks are now coming from all sides – attacks from people who think they should dictate our agenda, what stories we publish and what stands we take.

So before being quick to judge and criticize the media, which has, despite all the pressures and turmoil in the industry kept providing readers with free content, people should stop and think about why this sector does not always perform as well as it is expected to.

The bottom line is that if people want the media to be better and stronger they should support it and treat it like the important pillar of democracy that it is.