This is a country of 404,000 people, where 400,000 of us try to live a decent life and diligently take care of their everyday business. They live a normal life, appreciate their surroundings, take care of their families, possibly contribute positively to civic matters and otherwise let life go by. They try not to bother others. They live and let live.

At times, however, things out of the ordinary happen and do away with the routine of their life, and either add colour to their daily toil or else cause added tension and discomfort.

For some, this is caused by a major event occurring within the family, be it a birth, marriage, a change in one’s job or position in life or, unfortunately, death. This might get them a mention in the papers or else a note of appreciation.

Their private lives revolve round the immediate or extended family. Some of them are active in local, voluntary non-profit making organisations. They are silently appreciated and it is only when they stop being involved that one realises the extent of their contribution in time and effort.

However, then there are those who want or need to be in the news every day – the remaining 4,000 or so who either participate in public life or else make it a point to be in the news every time you switch on a radio or TV, or open a newspaper. For them, such appearances could be either an evil necessity, or welcome ego boosters. To many of these individuals, also, being in the media is of no real consequence; however the gurus of the press, the visual or audio media may think that giving them a mention may make it worth their own while and perhaps land them a scoop.

But then again, most of the news reports we are fed are not about who makes it but are a collection of items which the journalists in a media group think are worth feeding the public so as to help the press owners attain their own agenda. There is a difference between what is and what should be a news item. A true news item should be reported as is, independently of who pulls the strings, political or otherwise. However the choice of news items often does not depend on their true value. The criterion seems to be whether their effect is euphoria for some and pain for others.

Negative reporting on individuals for the sake of political gain is not beneficial to anyone. This is more so when it is reported in such a way that it practically amounts to character assassination. Worse still happens when certain media accept to include, as part of the recipe, the involvement of family and relatives in the criticism in order to attain an end. This end does not justify the means. Unfortunately certain reporters and journalists do not know this – or else are being induced or encouraged by their superiors to stoop to such low levels.

In our country, news comes from two polarised sources, and one that straddle the middle ground. There are those newspapers, radio and television stations that have a bias towards one political party or another. It is amazing how the same news item may be couched in positive terms on one station, and trumpeted as an apocalyptic doomsday forecast on another.

Last Sunday I was watching the news, at 7.30pm on One TV, at 7.45pm on Net TV and at 8pm on TVM. Funnily enough a report on all three stations about the same event had three distinct shades of colour. The One TV reporter criticised the official re-opening of the Hal Far road due to the fact that this project, as may others, had cost more than expected. The same event, as reported by Net TV, was another chapter in Malta’s success story of the reconstruction of our infrastructural network, while TVM was more neutral and to the point without giving any politically motivated viewpoints.

One asks whether the news should have been just a clean reportage of events or if it should have satisfied the wants of an audience looking for a particular political slant.

Then there were items which made the news on one station and not the on other. If the item could be turned into a negative report and used for political mileage, then it ranked high in the One TV bulletin. After all, this channel fully supports the Labour Party. The MLP is in opposition. And the opposition is there to criticise. If, on the other hand, the news item was politically positive it rated high on Net TV’s bulletin. If the item really had a neutral news value, it found find itself in the TVM broadcast.

Last week perhaps saw one of those rare occasions where the same news item took all by storm and was relatively reported with the same enthusiasm and positive attitude that is so lacking otherwise. The inauguration ceremony of the new Archbishop has perhaps in itself been a blessing for us all, even in this respect.

Hopefully Archbishop Mgr Cremona will remain an all rounder for good news throughout his episcopate. I am sure that best wishes are in order from everyone – even those subscribing to a different faith.

But then, what is life without colour. Perhaps the only “run of the mill” news items with no political tinge are sports news and the weather.

With regard to sports news, I sometimes suspect that the same person compiles the news for all stations and other news media. If one mistake is made on one newspaper or station then the same error is mostly repeated in the other newspapers irrespective of their political affiliation. This may possibly be the result of lack of funds, within each media company, which precludes them from covering all sporting events themselves and having to “borrow” some items. In spite of the common source, the allegiance of the individual sports reporter is given away by the delivery of the news item. Sometimes the news item is euphoric while in other cases the newscaster seems down in the doldrums.

When it comes to the weather then perhaps most stations in most countries tend to use the same recording. “It will possibly be good weather but with a chance of rain, winds, storms….”

Well at least, in Malta, there is practically a guarantee that the sun will come out tomorrow. And that is good news.