The Government of Malta has long had a problem with gate keeping and withholding information from the press. That trend has continued over the years and has now resulted in a silent but gradual erosion of the powers of independent media.

All too often, the situation has degenerated into one where the favoured few are given snippets of information that are either benign, innocuous or the official line that the government actually wants to release.

Let us be clear, the same cannot be said of all ministries and communications coordinators. A couple are efficient, courteous and believe in the rights of free speech and the duty of the media to dig deeper than the surface.

But by and large, the communications coordinators are known to withhold information from the media. In some cases, the ministries involved do not even see it fit to advise the media when yet another disillusioned youngster decides to seek pastures new, and a new person is appointed in their place.

Much of the local media – mainly the new generation - has reduced itself to hobnobbing for favour, in return for bits and bobs that they might weave into a story. Of course, there are a few old heads around there that are not intimidated by the softly-softly withholding of information approach.

This newspaper, and we are sure we are not alone, has on various occasions requested information – which the government is duty bound to give – about matters of national importance. Sometimes we are fobbed off, other times we are told we will be given information – only to receive none, and other times we are completely ignored. On some occasions, we have asked for information about major global issues involving Malta to be told: “Leave me alone today, as we are very busy with this issue.”

This is certainly not the way to go about things. Politicians must understand that they are accountable for their actions. We already have a culture of “I will not resign”. We have seen it on many occasions – issues arise which would claim the scalp of any minister in Europe, or the developed world, yet here life goes on.

And this is where the problem lies. Politicians in Malta are untouchable, and in Cabinet, that feeling continues to proliferate. When one couples this attitude with the approach taken to not disseminating information or not giving straight answers to the media, then we must look at our democracy through a looking glass and really evaluate what we have. Do we really have a representative democracy? Malta is small enough for a direct democracy – just like the Athenians had – but instead, we have some sort of convoluted system more akin to a politbureau and state and a good portion of the private media that pander and oblige.

This publishing house will never stoop so low. We will continue to probe and give our opinions on matters that matter, even if others do not. The Maltese media and political landscape is tarnished, and the self-imposed servile attitude adopted by most of the media (even to the other party) does no favours to democracy.

Arthur Miller once said: “A good newspaper, I suppose, is a nation talking to itself.”

But if the information is withheld, watered down, or obtained by favours, then surely it is only a monologue – and a detached one at that.