Almost 12 years ago to the day, The Malta Independent daily was launched. A lot has changed in that decade plus. On 6 October 1997, Malta was not yet a European Union member and we were still aspiring to become a modern, fully fledged developed nation. In the period which has since elapsed, we have seen Malta grow to strengths we never thought possible. We have pushed ourselves to new highs, and we have experienced some lows too. But business has boomed, tourism touched record numbers and we saw huge amounts invested in this country in the area of pharmaceuticals, electronic components, IT, aircraft maintenance and more. We also saw huge changes in our culture and our way of life. Mobiles, emails and smart phones are now commonplace. In 1992, when this publishing house first began to bring the news to you with our Sunday newspaper, we relied on notebooks and pencils, fax machines, one computer with an internet connection and another to receive satellite downloads from the foreign wires. We remember those days fondly, as we broke into the English language newspaper market.

We struggled hard against the current, where the big fish dominated by the political and established media had already marked their territory. They told us we would not last a year, but so many years later, still holding up the same ideals, we are here to stay. The fact that we bring you this new exciting format; Berliner size, full colour, sports on the back page, water based ink and a newspaper printed on recycled paper is testament to our commitment to our readers. To do so in a worldwide economic climate of austerity, decline and uncertainty further hammers home the point.

When we first launched, we vowed to remain close to the principles of upholding democracy, human rights and social justice. We pledged our allegiance to our readers and vowed to retain our independence of political parties, but not remain aloof from issues of concern to Malta. Today, we renew that promise. When we started, we were largely stuck in our own backyard, reporting on the Aye or Nay arguments on whether to join the European Union. Today, we bring you reports from Brussels during European Council meetings where our government, and indeed our media, works elbow to elbow with representatives of other European nations, all on the same footing.

Standard Publications acknowledges its role in the media landscape of Malta. We are one voice in the midst of a cacophony of views, opinions, propaganda, dissent and debate. We know it is our job to give you, the readers, an informed and analytical summary of what is happening and what is of concern in Malta, and in Europe and its institutions. This is no easy task. But it is a task we relish, a task we approach every day with a vigour that can only be found in journalists and people involved in the news.

While we may not be the loudest mouthpiece on the island, we pride ourselves in putting out a quality product, each and every day. We have had our moments. We have broken stories day after day that we have investigated ourselves. We have pushed the concerns of our readers into the political sphere and corrective action was taken as a result. We have long upheld the principle of fighting for an improvement in animal rights. We have asked the questions that others daren’t. We have been independent. We continue to be independent. We will continue to be of a service to you, our readers… the real owners of our publications. We thank you for nearly two decades of support. We will deliver.