Malta’s media system from the perspective of journalists and editors : a case study applying Hallin and Mancini’s (2004) theoretical framework

Abstract

All political parties represented in the Maltese Parliament own and run various news media platforms, including television stations. Though small, Malta’s media system became the subject of unprecedented international interest after the political assassination of Daphne Caruana Galizia, its most renowned journalist, in 2017. This study investigates this media system from the perspective of its journalists and editors, applying the four dimensions of the theoretical framework put forward by Hallin and Mancini, namely political parallelism, journalistic professionalism, the role of the state and the media market. Using a mixed methods approach, this study triangulates qualitative and quantitative data to understand the characteristics that journalists attribute to the media system in which they work. The results show that the movement of Malta’s media system from the Mediterranean Model towards the Liberal Model was adversely affected by increased advocacy by all media organizations together with endemic characteristics such as the pronounced role of political parties and the small size of the market.