https://www.um.edu.mt/library/oar/handle/123456789/328 2026-10-14T12:08:59Z https://www.um.edu.mt/library/oar/handle/123456789/150003 Title: Threats to press freedom and journalistic resistance in Southern European countries during COVID-19 : the cases of Bulgaria, Greece, Cyprus, and Malta Authors: Papadopoulou, Lambrini; Trifonova Price, Lada; Maniou, Theodora A.; Clark, Marilyn Abstract: The COVID-19 pandemic exposed newsrooms globally to economic hardship and new challenges to press freedom and journalism that undermined the duty to serve the public interest. This chapter is based on findings from a cross-national qualitative study, conducted in 2022, which examined the relationship between media, journalism, and politics in four Southern European countries with existing democratic deficits throughout the pandemic and beyond. The discussion is based on semi-structured interviews with journalists from Bulgaria, Greece, Cyprus, and Malta. It provides an overview of the challenges to media markets and journalistic practice as well as journalists’ strategies for maintaining their professional autonomy. Findings indicate that participants preserved to some extent their professional autonomy by adapting strategically, committing to public service, and developing new journalistic practices. The analysis in the chapter is relevant to a range of political contexts where journalism and media face similar threats. 2027-01-01T00:00:00Z https://www.um.edu.mt/library/oar/handle/123456789/147482 Title: Navigating absence : a grounded theory of adults’ retrospective accounts of childhood parental incarceration in Malta Authors: Xiberras, Sarah; Clark, Marilyn Abstract: Purpose – This study aims to develop an explanatory framework for understanding how children of incarcerated parents negotiate the experience of having a parent in prison, including both the risks they face and the strengths they build. The research examines this retrospectively, by investigating how individuals who are now adults navigated parental incarceration in Malta, a small-state context where stigma and social exclusion are intensified.; Design/methodology/approach – Using grounded theory methodology and a constructivist epistemology, the study developed a substantive level theory rooted in participants’ interpretations and grounded in meanings constructed through social interactions. Framed by a risk and resilience approach, eight Maltese adults (aged 18–40) who experienced parental incarceration between ages 6–18 participated in semi-structured interviews. Data were analysed using the constant comparative method, producing four interlinked conceptual categories.; Findings – The emergent explanatory framework highlights that children of incarcerated parents face multiple risks and repercussions, including the initial loss of the parent, navigating between home and prison worlds, experiencing courtesy stigma and enduring long-term emotional and relational impacts. These findings reveal parental incarceration as dynamic and enduring. Yet, protective mechanisms such as open communication, supportive caregiving and maintaining positive contact with the incarcerated parent, mitigated adverse effects and fostered adaptation, adjustment and resilience.; Practical implications – The study emphasises the need for interventions that prioritise children’s voices, strengthen family support systems and promote resilience-building through school and community networks.; Originality/value – By centring on children’s lived experiences of parental incarceration in Malta, this study fills a critical gap in the local literature. It complements and extends international quantitative research by offering a culturally grounded, qualitative perspective that captures nuanced socioemotional processes often overlooked. 2026-01-01T00:00:00Z https://www.um.edu.mt/library/oar/handle/123456789/147141 Title: Standing at the crossroads : a grounded theory of early-stage desistance from heroin careers in Malta Authors: Gellel, Manuel; Clark, Marilyn; Bell, Albert Abstract: Evidence suggests that individuals affected by problematic heroin use can desist at various points in their drug-using career. Drawing on a doctoral study that developed a non-linear four-stage model of desistance from heroin careers within the Maltese context, this paper focuses on exploring the contingencies that are in place during the initial pre-desistance stage. The study adopted an evolved grounded theory methodology. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with twenty-two participants, fourteen identifying as male and eight as female, who had desisted from heroin careers for a minimum of five years. Findings show that a series of setbacks encountered after committing to a heroin career can create profound ambivalence, leading to pivotal reckoning moments that prompt individuals to consider change. Importantly, the emergence of hope that desistance is possible appears to play an instrumental role in initiating the desistance process. 2026-01-01T00:00:00Z https://www.um.edu.mt/library/oar/handle/123456789/146380 Title: Beyond religious narcissistic identification : agnostic and atheistic narcissism Authors: Żemojtel-Piotrowska, Magdalena; Piotrowski, Jarosław; Nowak, Bartłomiej; Saroglou, Vassilis; Maltby, John; Sedikides, Constantine; Adamovic, Mladen; Aminnuddin, Nur Amali; Yaw Appiah, Seth Christopher; Ardi, Rahkman; Babakr, Zana Hasan; Baldursson, Einar Baldvin; Bălțătescu, Sergiu; Bilgehan Aytaç, Muhammed; Bolatov, Aidos; Bonfá-Araujo, Bruno; Burghart, Matthias; Chobthamkit, Phatthanakit; Clark, Marilyn; Clobert, Magali; Cowden, Richard G.; Datu, Jesus Alonso; Dhakal, Sandesh; Dragova-Koleva, Sonya; Espejo, Begoña; Grigoryev, Dmitry; Gritti, Emanuela; Gundolf, Katherine; Habib, Rishad; Hossain, Md. Imran; Jaume, Luis Carlos; Iliško, Dzintra; Iqbal, Naved; Jovanović, Veljko; Jukić, Tomislav; Kamble, Shanmukh V.; Khachatryan, Narine; Knezović, Emil; Kovacs, Monika; Kumove, Heather A.; Eldesoki, Walaa Labib M.; Fernandez, Aitor Larzabal; Li, Norman; Lifshin, Uri; Liik, Kadi; Likhanov, Maxim; Mamuti, Agim; Mannerström, Rasmus; Marganski, Alison J.; Martín-Carbonell, Marta; Mestvirishvili, Maia; Moon, Chanki; Papageorgiou, Kostas A.; Park, Joonha; Pérez de León, Pablo; Puente Diaz, Rogelio; Ramos-Diaz, Jano; Smith, Troy; Tesfa, Gashaw; Trà, Kiều Thị Thanh; Tiliouine, Habib; Tomšík, Robert; Umeh, Charles S.; Vadvilavicius, Tadas; van den Bos, Kees; van Hiel, Alain; Wlodarczyk, Anna; Vally, Zahir; Vauclair, Christin‐Melanie; Yahiiaiev, Illia; Zand, Fatemeh Abstract: Agnosticism and atheism are often grouped simply as nonreligious identities, yet emerging research highlights their distinct psychological profiles and social implications. Among these distinctions, collective narcissism – characterized by strong attachment to one’s group, exceptionalism, and grievance for recognition – offers a framework for understanding identity processes in both nonreligious groups. We examined whether agnostics and atheists exhibit collective narcissism and its forms (agentic – focused on exceptional effectiveness; communal – focused on exceptional morality) similarly to believers. We explored cross-denominational variance in agentic and communal collective narcissism levels relying on data from 77 countries (N = 3,570; 1227 agnostics, 2343 atheists). Agnostics and atheists from secular countries reported lower collective (particularly agentic) narcissism relative to their counterparts from religious countries. Further, agnostics and atheists were higher on communal than agentic collective narcissism. The results highlight the utility of the agency-communion model of collective narcissism among nonbelievers. 2026-01-01T00:00:00Z