PBS editorial board ignores its own rules as PN remains silent

The three members of PBS’s editorial board are facing growing questions over whether they have effectively abandoned their responsibility to uphold the public broadcaster’s own ethics rules, even as allegations mount that certain current affairs presenters openly engaged in partisan political activity during the recent electoral campaign and continue to breach both the rules and their contracts with apparent impunity.

The Shift has sent questions to government-appointed editorial board Chair Englebert Grech and board members Charles Flores and Reno Bugeja, asking them to clarify whether the board is functioning, whether it has investigated reported breaches of PBS’s ethics guidelines, and whether it has directed management to take any action.

A PBS spokesperson told The Shift that it was up to the three members of the editorial board to uphold standards and enforce the code.

Yet according to PBS sources, the editorial board rarely meets and has provided no meaningful direction to PBS’s current affairs presenters, including during the electoral campaign.

The apparent inactivity stands in stark contrast to the public broadcaster’s own ethical code, which places impartiality at the centre of its mission and imposes strict restrictions on the political activities of news and current affairs personnel.

The growing controversy follows a series of reports by The Shift concerning the conduct of PBS presenters.

Last week, The Shift revealed that TVM current affairs presenter Luke Dalli acted as a Labour Party representative during the election counting process and openly celebrated Labour’s victory inside the party’s headquarters. Dalli himself uploaded photographs of his involvement on social media, apparently disregarding the standards that the editorial board is expected to uphold.

Days earlier, The Shift reported that Ricky Caruana, a DJ with no journalistic experience or formal newsroom background, openly promoted Labour Party candidates during the campaign through public appearances and social media activity.

Yet despite the public nature of these activities, no investigation has been announced, and no disciplinary action has been made public.

The silence has prompted questions not only about the conduct of individual presenters but also about the role of those entrusted with safeguarding PBS’s editorial standards.

PBS’s own ethics guidelines leave little room for interpretation.

Under the section dealing with political relationships, the guidelines state that “all PBS staff should refrain from publicly associating themselves with a political party” and that “expressing public support for any political party” is “not allowed”.

The code also states that presenters and reporters associated with news and current affairs programmes “must be seen to be impartial” and must not “state how they vote or express support for any political party”.

Staff members are further prohibited from endorsing political candidates and from publicly advocating positions on issues that are currently the subject of political debate.

The rules extend beyond the workplace and specifically apply to social media activity and conduct outside working hours.

The guidelines are equally clear about the consequences of non-compliance.

PBS states that any violation of the code is considered “a serious offence” and may result in disciplinary action, including dismissal or termination.

Despite this, the editorial board has made no visible effort to address concerns about presenters’ conduct during the electoral campaign.

The situation has fuelled frustration among viewers who have long complained, particularly on social media, about political bias at the national broadcaster.

PBS sources told The Shift that what was equally striking was the silence of the PN Opposition in the face of these clear breaches.

Although PN supporters and officials regularly complain on social media about PBS’s editorial balance and have repeatedly singled out Ricky Caruana as an example of perceived bias, the PN has not publicly announced any formal complaint to PBS over the reported breaches.

Nor has it publicly pressed the editorial board to explain whether it was enforcing the broadcaster’s own ethical standards.

Questions are also being raised about the role of the Broadcasting Authority, responsible for ensuring compliance with broadcasting legislation and safeguarding the impartiality obligations imposed on the public service broadcaster.