The ambiguous borderline between human rights and national security : the journalist’s dilemma in the reporting of irregular immigrants in Malta

Abstract

Should journalists merely echo public fears and xenophobic attitudes towards immigrants or should they attempt to change those attitudes? This study discusses the journalist’s role as agenda setter and opinion leader. It is based on qualitative in-depth data gathered from 13 journalists working with 8 news organisations on the Mediterranean island of Malta. It explores the various dilemmas faced by journalists in their coverage of irregular boat people and in their reporting of anti-immigrant movements. It shows how journalists hold divergent views on what constitutes national security. Some overstate the role of the police and the army in their effort to safeguard the territorial integrity of the Maltese islands from immigrant influxes. Others espouse a perspective that pegs security to fairness, justice, the protection of rights and cultural integration. This paper points out that globalisation, including migration processes, necessitate better comprehension and interpretation of international news where journalists could help foster greater public understanding of the international causes of migration. However, and to the contrary, Malta is now also experiencing media commercialisation trends that further marginalise foreign news and militate against such informed explanations.