Intimidation of Maltese journalists : a qualitative study

Abstract

The intimidation of journalists and the consequent fear and possible self-censorship is an important area of academic concern because journalists hold power to account and are essential to democracy. Intimidation can take many forms, most notably psychological, economical, judicial and physical and contributes to the chilling effect. This study aims to develop an in-depth understanding of Maltese media actors’ personal experiences of intimidation. The study examines the pressures experienced and the psychological impact of intimidation through an exploration of the meaning journalists attach to their experiences. It also examines how they negotiate the risks of their profession. Semi-structured interviews with five journalists were conducted. The constant comparative method was used to analyse the data. Psychological pressures is the most experienced form of intimidation for Maltese journalists. This mostly comes from social media comments, pressure to retract stories and from the workplace. Fear and the consequent chilling effect emerged as a common response to intimidation. However, journalists also showed resilience. This study concludes with a few recommendations established on the findings.