I wrote a piece earlier commenting on TVM’s coverage of the evidence being heard in court against Keith Schembri. I put up a clip of how TVM covered proceedings in court focusing on the questions asked by Keith Schembri’s defence team from the police officers presenting the evidence.
There was precious little reporting of the evidence. There was a lot of coverage of the questions put to the police intended to underline what evidence was not presented rather than what evidence was presented. They make it look like there was no evidence.
I should have pointed out something else.
The lawyer asking the questions on behalf of Keith Schembri was Mark Vassallo.
Mark Vassallo is also the Board Secretary of PBS, the State company that owns TVM. He was put there by Robert Abela’s government.
Makes sense, doesn’t it? Does Keith Schembri still get to decide what you watch?
Now the TVM editor Norma Saliba may wax melodramatic about her independence from the company board. She’ll ask why am I prepared to believe Times of Malta journalists acted independently of Adrian Hillman when Keith Schembri had him by the balls but would not believe she can act independently of Keith Schembri when the board of the company that pays her has Keith Schembri’s lawyer as its secretary.
Because, Norma Saliba, what matters is the output. I see how the Times of Malta write about Keith Schembri. And I see what you’re broadcasting as you’re covering the State’s case against him.
And then I know.