By way of a prologue and an introduction, I must first of all strongly affirm and confirm my unalterable belief and conviction that all media, written or spoken, must enjoy full and absolute freedom of expression irrespective of the subject published.

On their part, the media themselves, however, must grant the same facility and right of free and unfettered expression to their contributors or correspondents without displaying any inclination for a fawning attitude or subservience towards the rulers either of yesteryear or of the recent past, both having responsibility for the democratic governance of these islands.

My present intention to take up pen and paper stems from the feeling and need of strong condemnation and protestation against the habit and practice of a local media to alter censor or delete the substance that may be interpreted as critical of past rulers in my letters sent to it for publication.

This is invariably done without my prior approval and permission uncovering the obvious noxious intent of the publisher to shield or hide past mistakes or shortcomings committed by the rulers of these islands both from long ago and in the recent past.

Too often, the raison d’être, message, forcefulness and punch of an article are so brutally and seriously degraded and butchered as to make the contents and message barely comprehensible.

I do firmly maintain and believe that no one in the media should have the unethical and repulsive authority to change or delete any part of an article meant for publication except in the case of acceptable legal reasons and objections.

This pruning or grafting of an article should rightfully be resorted to only in regard to unlawful or libellous pronouncements. However, if for any reason whatever those responsible for vetting the article prior to publication disagree with or disapprove of any part or substance of the article, they should be duty-bound to discard it as wholly unsuitable for publication. 

However, if deemed worthwhile publishing, after some touching up, they should have the decency to seek first the author’s consent and permission regarding all the changes or alterations they made before publication.

Hopefully, others who may have suffered similar reprehensible experience would now also raise their voices in disagreement against such detestable and undemocratic practices.

I cannot end this letter without expressing my deep appreciation and gratefulness for this paper’s cooperation through its reproducing intact and untouched the contents of my articles or letters sent for publication.

By so doing the newspaper is preserving and presenting the complete true picture and message as intended by the author to be conveyed to the readers and followers of the publication.

Edwin Calleja

BALZAN