PEN Malta demanded explanations and for immediate action from the public broadcaster, TVM, and the minister responsible for it, Owen Bonnici regarding a programme that promoted and recommended a book of Nazi propaganda without any hint of critical appraisal.
Minister Bonnici has now said that "this type of content has no place on any medium," and said he is informed that PBS has launched an investigation.
In the programme Ħajjitna Ktieb of 23 March, produced and presented by John Demanuele, TVM promoted the book “Mein Führer Adolf Hitler, L-Istorja u l-Bijografija” written by Ronald Bugeja.
Demanuele presented the book without posing any critical questions about the dangerous revisionism of this book, which glorifies and justifies Hitler, the Nazi movement and ideology, and the actions of the civil and military Nazi administration in Germany in the 20th century, PEN Malta had said earlier in the day.
Among the many despicable policies of violence and discrimination that the book ignores or justifies, the author defends the burning of books written by authors who disagreed with the regime. The author recommends this as a good policy, PEN Malta said.
PEN Malta said it is shocked and disgusted by the public broadcaster, which far from carrying out its mission of holding an informed and critical public debate, is serving as a pulpit for Nazi ideas that are the exact opposite of the values of democracy, freedom of thought and information.
“Everyone has a right to their opinion, but the public broadcaster’s duty is to know history, to point out lies and deceit, and to promote values of democracy and tolerance,” said PEN Malta President Immanuel Mifsud. “What we have here is a serious insult to the Maltese public, which funds TVM, and an even greater insult to all the victims of this historic violence and crimes against humanity by Adolf Hitler and the Nazis. We demand from TVM and minister Bonnici immediate investigation into how this programme came to be broadcast and to tell us what actions they will take to prevent this from ever happening again.
“We are also seriously worried to note that the author of this infamous book thanked the National Book Council. We sincerely hope that this book was not financed by public funds, but if that is the case, then the council needs to shoulder responsibility - whether it funded it out of stupidity or, more shockingly, if it did so out of ideological Nazi sympathies.”
In a separate statement, NGO Repuybblika said that Minister Bonnici should take the necessary steps after the national station was used for Nazi propaganda.
It called for the resignation of the people who had editorial responsibility; if they don't, Bonnici should remove them and, failing that, it would appear that he would be endorsing them and taking on the same responsibility.
This scandal is yet another link in the chain of shame PBS has become known for. It is a mediocre and amateur station, and a propaganda machine instead of being educational and offering objective, qualitiative and correct information.
It is unacceptable that the national station, instead of educating people, is used to promote Hitler, Nazism and the distortion of history.
In yet another development, independent candidate Arnold Cassola has written to the Broadcasting Authority to complain about the promotion of Nazism on PBS.
The programme served as an apology to the atrocities of Nazism, Whoever approved this decision should shoulder responsibility, Cassola said.
National Book Council
The National Book Council said that it did not provide any financial aid, support, or visibility to the book Mein Führer Adolf Hitler - L-Istorja u l-Bijografija by Ronald Bugeja, apart from issuing its ISBN number on 6 May 2022. As a side note, the NBC serves as the ISBN agency for Malta, and the issuing of ISBN numbers is not related to the content of publications.
"We were not previously informed or aware that the author acknowledged the National Book Council in his special thanks on page 396. However, during the classification and eligibility process for the National Book Prize, multiple individuals raised concerns, and the Council sought legal advice on 28 March 2023," the council said.
While the National Book Council took into account the right to freedom of expression enshrined in the Maltese Constitution and the European Convention on Fundamental Human Rights, we have decided not to include the book Mein Führer in the longlist for the National Book Prize for books published in 2022. This decision was made due to the book's content and consequent ethical concerns, further reinforced by potential legal repercussions associated with a book that may promote or condone the genocide committed by the Nazi regime (referring to Article 82B of the Maltese Criminal Code).
The longlist for the National Book Prize was published on 4 April 2023 (https://ktieb.org.mt/en/news/national-book-prize-and-terramaxka-prize-2023-the-longlist/). The National Book Council disassociates itself from the nature of the content of the book and its implications.
The Nationalist Party strongly condemns PBS over the incident
The Nationalist Party has strongly condemned PBS over the incident.
"In a democratic society it is unacceptable for the public station to air Nazi propaganda, especially when one considers that the book is not factually correct in what it reads."
It also said that during the programme "at no point was the content promoting the book challenged."
This, the PN said, is another confirmation of the "absolute disaster in the running of the public station, that censures speeches of Pope Francis, the President of Malta, the Nationalist Party and civil society, yet permits the promotion of false propaganda related to Adolph Hitler and his Nazi Regime that, as was proved historically, were responsible for atrocities including genocide."
In light of all this, the PN said, "Minister Owen Bonnici and those running PBS must answer who will shoulder responsibility for how PBS has fallen to such a low level and say how they will ensure that this does not happen again."
'This type of content has no place on any medium' - Bonnici
Minister Owen Bonnici said that this type of content has no place on any medium. The Minister said he was not aware of the programme prior to its broadcast and he "definitely does not condone the declarations made by the author of the book.PBS is an independent corporate body endowed with editorial discretion and the structures of PBS operate independently from the Ministry. The Ministry is informed that PBS is currently investigating this incident."
Investigation launched
TVM seperately reported that "the producers and presenter of the programme have been informed that their shortcomings in this production amount to a serious contract breach and have been asked to provide an explanation. At the same time, persons in charge of the programme's quality control have been asked to provide an explanation how this programme passed their scrutiny.""Once the internal investigation is concluded, PBS will take all necessary and adequate measures, depending on the investigation conclusions. Such measures may include the application of contractual consequences and disciplinary steps against those who were responsible to stop such content from being aired," TVM reports.
Programme presenter John Demanuele issued an apology to viewers on his behalf and that of his production team, in a news item reported by TVM online.