The Malta Women’s Lobby (MWL) said Friday it is dismayed to note that Ricky Caruana, who “appears to have no credentials or training in media or journalism”, has been gifted a public service media platform while he persists in “sharing false, mediaeval, and blatantly misogynistic opinions on social media platforms”.
In a nutshell, the national broadcaster, which is supported by taxpayers, women included, is “rewarding discrimination with money and visibility”. PBS is essentially “choosing ignorance and hate over knowledge and integrity”, as countless women with expertise and lived experience continue to fight for space in the public arena, the group said.
The Lobby questions how public funds are served on a silver platter to an individual who “openly and unashamedly ridicules women’s contributions to society, dismisses the achievements of feminist movements, promotes the segregation of men and women in the workplace, and trivialises reports of sexual harassment”.
Having unfounded, baseless, controversial opinions does not equate to deserving airtime that should be utilised to satisfy democratic responsibilities, particularly when these opinions are nothing more than derogatory remarks directed toward half the population, the MWL said
What has become of the state broadcaster’s obligation to protect against discrimination and to promote equality? Public service media is duty bound to act as a counterweight to social division, not a megaphone for it. We anticipate that these sexist, even harmful, outbursts will be legitimised and justified under the banner of “free speech” or “impartiality”, but this would be a profound misunderstanding of both concepts.
Free speech does not imply that all viewpoints are equally well-informed, and impartiality does not entail contrasting prejudice with knowledge, the group said.
A public institution fails the very people it is meant to serve if it is unable to distinguish between a legitimate, informed debate and the propagation of misogyny. Accountability demands more than statements of intent. It requires editorial courage and the willingness to say that some views are not just disagreeable but indefensible in a democratic society committed to equality.
As women we should not have to finance our own demeaning through public funds, and we demand that PBS urgently review how such decisions are made and who benefits from them, the MWL.
Public service media belongs to the public, all members of society, men and women, and its platforms must reflect that shared humanity, not erode it, it said.