The Malta Festival of Ideas 2025 started Thursday with a journalist and media forum addressing the nexus between language, conflict and community cohesion.
The Forum included the participation of Semira Abbas Shalan from The Malta Independent, Giulia Magri and Wayne Flask, and was moderated by Karl Azzopardi.
Assistant Director Clifford Galea explained that this is the Second Edition of the Malta Festival of Ideas and that the Culture Directorate is eager to be a leader in advancing possibilities for dialogue, creativity, and positive social and environmental change. He explained that following last year's successful focus on climate change, this year the theme of Possibilities for Peace, aims to address a more pressing reality.
He highlighted the Directorate's vision of further advancing opportunities for dialogue, and the co-creation of innovative ideas. He explained that through a multi-disciplinary and multi-sensory approach, the Festival intertwines the role of diplomacy, the arts, performance, the environment, and youth activism in advancing possibilities for peace.
Addressing members present, Karen Mamo, Lead Researcher and Manager of the Festival of Ideas explained that this first event is mostly significant as it places the role of the journalist, the media, and people engaged in podcasts and other mass communicative platforms at the helm of promoting possibilities for peace. She explained that language has the potential to act as a double-edged sword, and therefore both as a means to communicate, but also to dehumanise, and ostracise 'the other'.
The panellists recognised that the role of the journalist as 'gatekeeper' has for the past twenty years been remodelled and challenged in various ways. The constant stream of information, opinions, and news challenged the traditional consumption of the media, and transformed it today in a highly contested space for quick, real time and at times sensationalistic images and language.
The speakers highlighted that political propaganda sometimes also included in official government communications, and an ever-increasing stream of fake news, continue to place traditional media at an important crossroad. This reality continues to complicate the work of independent journalism, whilst making it more difficult for readers to formulate an informed decision.
The discussion highlighted that ultimately, language has the potential to empower communities to act and stand up for more civil and political rights or be left complacent of atrocities and injustices through misinformation and biased discourse. The symbiotic and vital relationship between civil society and independent media was identified as pivotal to advance small group grievances into national concerns, and in due course move the political class to act.
The panellists agreed that increased education on critical thinking is of urgent need across all ages and social classes in Malta. They also agreed that people in the media have increased responsibility to ensure that the constant rush to publish real time, and enticing news does not blind their vision from adopting language which is instigates mistrust, hatred and conflict.
The panellists agreed that finding the right balance is not always easy, yet they recognised that they remain duty bound to promote the role of the media as the third pillar of democracy, and therefore advance accountability, transparency, and factual and informed articles, videos, and images.
The Malta Festival of Ideas takes place at Spazju Kreattiv in Valletta between 6th and 10th October. This year the festival features five thematic forums addressing diplomacy, international human rights, artistic expression, environmental heritage, and community activism. On 11th October at the Valletta University Campus, Prof. Todor Todorov, Bulgarian philosopher and fiction writer will deliver a public lecture titled: Don Quixote in Gaza: The Remedy of Madness.
Visit Festival of Ideas website for more updates and registration process www.festivalofideas.com