The assassination of Fathi Shaqaqi : an analysis of the case and the reporting by the media in Malta

Abstract

One man’s terrorist is another man’s freedom fighter, or so the saying goes. The aim of this study was to explore the assassination of Dr Fathi Shaqaqi, This case could be classified as an act of international terrorism on Maltese soil. Furthermore, an additional aim of the study was to discover how the media reported this case and if bias was detected. This murder case had international implications, also ramifications that branched from Malta throughout the Middle East and North Africa.

The Literature Review comprises the background of the Israeli Palestinian conflict, which serves as a backdrop to the analysis of the assassination. Media and crime, media and race were analysed, as part of the analysis of the reportage, to see if media reports might influence the public perception. Finally the media in Malta was considered to support the findings of this study.

A qualitative approach, namely archival research and content analysis was undertaken. Newspaper articles, from the day of the murder till present, were collected from archives and then were analysed for their content. Chibnall’s (1977) eight imperatives were used to outline the results.

In conclusion, the initial belief that although the Maltese population might be racist and xenophobic, as per EU reports, (ENAR, 2011). Minor racial bias could be detected, and this when exposing the Maltese interests ashore and abroad. What was mostly detected was Nationalism and partisan political bias, and some ethical issues that were breached. Potential recommendations to reporters, and potential future studies were outlined.