Newsrooms as sub-systems of political organisations

Abstract

Media structures belonging to political organisations are a Maltese idiosyncrasy or as some claim, an anomaly. Malta is the only European country that permits political parties to directly own broadcasting stations. Hence, in spite of deregulation, growing commercialisation and the rise of the new media, Malta has experienced an expansion and revival of the partisan press tradition. As opposed to the Anglo-American experience, where political media are often alternative and ghettoised channels, in Malta they remained mainstream and highly institutional in scope and organisation. This chapter will explore ways in which partisan agendas influence the editorial decisions of newsrooms that Junction as subsystems and war rooms of their respective parent organisation. It will be argued that on one hand, these media structures reinforce party agendas and the politics of bipolarism. On the other hand, these structures may undermine parties as they are a.financial liability and they can engender detachment, disenchantment, and mistrust in the political system. Yet, it will be argued, that with changes, these setups may also make a positive contribution towards deliberative democratic practices.