From A. Brincat

One day a couple of weeks age, while I was having breakfast, I decided to turn on the radio in the kitchen, which happened to be tuned in to Calypso Radio, to listen to the 7 o’clock news. As soon as it started I soon realised that I was not going to stick it for long.

The first item was about a truck, container or whatever that was caught with undeclared merchandise. The newscaster added that this vehicle was travelling minn Pozzallo ghall- Sqallija that is from Pozzallo to Sicily!!! Does it make sense?

Then on to the second item, which dealt with the Parliamentary Secretary’s praise for the Ghaqda Maltija tar-Red Cross “Corpse”. Maybe it was another organisation to be honest, but the corpse was there. Does one need to have a university degree to know the difference in the pronunciation/meaning of corpse and corps? I mean is it asking too much of the people behind a microphone and / or posing in front a camera to know the difference?

The third item was about the hold-up at Qawra which went like this: “… gewwa ‘l Qawra gewwa supermarket,” which means ‘inside’ Qawra and ‘inside’ a supermarket.

That was the end of it for me, I couldn’t give a damn how important the rest of the news was.

When are most broad/newscasters going to be taught how to use their own language properly? They are influencing the whole population and nowadays these stupidities of gewwa, intant, l-ewwel nies, ovvjament and uncountable others, are uttered by almost everyone, from the highest authorities of the island from the Law Courts and Parliament to the education department.

Let’s hope that one fine day the Broadcasting Authority, for one, would feel the need, obligation and responsibility to take the bull by the horns to stop these stupidities once and for all.

A. Brincat

BIRKIRKARA