Mapping Media Freedom registers prime minister’s threat against The Shift

Prime Minister Robert Abela’s attack on The Shift has been registered as a threat to press freedom by European portal Mapping Media Freedom.

The European platform tracks threats to journalists as well as violations and limitations imposed on media organizations and individuals.

On 15 January 2025, the prime minister accused The Shift of being “a blog of fake news” when questioned by a reporter outside the parliament building in Valletta on his efforts to change legislation to make it more difficult for citizens to request magisterial inquiries in cases of suspected criminal activity.

Abela did not say which inquiries he was referring to when he said on camera that “Two ministers, a CEO, a permanent secretary, who did their work and who were investigated on the basis of, you know what? There was a blog of fake news, Shift News, fake news.”

The prime minister went on to say that the citizen who requested the magisterial inquiry under discussion “picked up reportage by the Shift News, dumped it, just like that, in front of a magistrate, and said, it’s in your hands”, implying that the officials in question were only investigated because of information published by The Shift.

The only current prosecutions involving government ministers and permanent secretaries are connected with a fraudulent public hospitals deal, which The Shift published extensive investigations into and that were included in evidence presented to the inquiring magistrate.

The Shift’s founder and managing editor Caroline Muscat is suing Prime Minister Robert Abela for defamation and is asking the court to find that Abela had defamed her by means of his statements and consequently was liable to be condemned to pay damages according to law. 

In the same application, Tula Ltd, the company that operates The Shift, requested the court to find Abela liable for a trade libel and likewise requested damages.