November 2 shouldn't be just any other day. November 2, 2013, commemorates the assassination of two French journalists in Mali.

Don't shoot the messenger; rather, one should address the source of the problem or the substance of the message. Isn't that what is often said? The exact opposite is happening now, today, every day.

There shouldn't be any scope for any attack or violence as far as journalists and journalism are concerned.

Regrettably, though, we are witnessing this in the form of violence, discrimination, censorship, intimidation and other forms aiming to prevent or hamper journalists in going about their journalistic forays.

In 2013, a resolution of the General Assembly of the United Nations proclaimed this day as one to remind us every year of the obscenity of impunity for violence and attacks on journalists and journalism in general.

We must remember those who died fighting for democracy and those we must fight for.

Between 2006 and 2025, more than 1,800 journalists were killed around the globe, with 9 out of 10 of these assassinations remaining without full justice, according to a study conducted by the UNESCO Observatory.

Impunity for any lethal or non-lethal attack on journalists initiates a cycle of violence that gravely jeopardises public access to information and the safeguarding of our fundamental liberties.

November 2 should be an occasion for commemorating the memory of assassinated journalists, above all here in Malta, Daphne Caruana Galizia's brutal assassination, for identifying the risks that journalists run in their journalistic work, for insisting on accountability for all committed crimes and for requesting the authorities concerned to commit themselves to protecting and ensuring journalists' security in going about their work.

It's a day when we have to turn on the government, civil society, the media, and the public in general to insist that the rule of law is observed while joining global efforts to promote awareness of the need to end impunity for any attack or harassment on journalists.

Impunity has been transformed into a phenomenon of a real culture of impunity for crimes against journalists, something that continues to concern us because of its dire consequences for journalistic work as well as for public access to public interest information.

By insisting on the implementation of a robust legal framework together with its enforcement, we would be ensuring that anyone responsible for the violence or intimidation perpetrated on journalists will get their due.

We need to strive for a healthy environment in which journalists can function fearlessly and free from violence and intimidation.

A free press is fundamental to human rights, democracy and the rule of law.

Yet, there still are some journalists in Malta who often are hampered in their work and occasionally are threatened verbally, if not also physically.

A free press is vital for democracy and fundamental rights. Access to timely, reliable and independent information is imperative, as witnessed during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Journalists, who have such an important role to play, are under pressure around the world, with governments occasionally attempting to silence them. We still hear of journalists falling victim to threats, verbal violence and vexatious judicial proceedings.

Regrettably, we sometimes see this even in our country.

We cannot but condemn the fact that, despite the recommendations of the Daphne Caruana Galizia Inquiry's Report and the long lapse of time, the government is still procrastinating in implementing the legislative, administrative and regulatory reforms aiming for a truly free press.

Journalists are highly valued instruments in disclosing controversial issues that are often hidden away from the public eye. They are people who help us in understanding the complexities of our country and the world. The information they provide us with is indispensable for the choices we have to make, be they related to health or elections, and affects our opinions.

Female journalists keep on being disproportionately targeted by being hampered, threatened, showered with sexist comments and other disparaging remarks. They suffer different forms of gender-based attacks and discrimination. This leads to a self-censored situation where journalists decide to call it a day and vanish from the public journalistic scene. All this devalues pluralistic journalism and democracy in their entirety.

A single attack on a journalist has serious consequences insofar as it risks silencing other journalists. We cannot but be concerned at an impunity eroding our society by building an ideal environment for human rights abuses, office abuses, corruption and criminality that all go on to tear to shreds the democracy's clothing.

November 2 should mean a call for action to promote a democratic country with better security and a free press by allowing journalists to work with that passion and sense of justice and truth that they have always held. Journalism is vital for democracy in our society, and protecting whistleblowers is equally vital so as not to let false, censored or partisan information take place while ensuring editorial independence.

For every journalist winning the Pulitzer Prize every year, a hundred are assassinated. If a free and reliable press is essential in a democratic system, it has become even more essential these days for preserving the citizen's right to be informed.

With no journalists working in a serene climate, we risk living in a confused and misinformed country.

We need journalists to report facts, keep us informed and hold those in power accountable. If violence prevails, the media can never be free, and democracy will simply crumble.

Dr Mark Said is a lawyer