Tackling impunity - lessons from the public inquiry into the assassination of Daphne Caruana Galizia

Abstract

A free press is the lifeblood of democracy. Journalists hold those in power to account, reporting on their actions and investigating wrongdoing. Their scrutiny extends to all areas of public interest, including matters of politics, business and crime, and the possible links between them. Investigative journalists play a particularly important role in this. By focusing on specific issues over an extended period of time, they can uncover corruption that would otherwise have gone undetected and unreported. Their reports are hugely powerful and have the potential to lead to changes in government and the prosecution of politicians and businessmen. Nobel Prize winner, Joseph Stiglitz, has referred to investigative journalism as “absolutely essential”. Without the media, including investigative journalists, ordinary citizens would not be able to make informed decisions, and democracy would fail. [excerpt]