---
title: "Journalists' Lobby Condemns Laptop Photography at Joseph Muscat Briefing"
date: 2026-09-10T14:01:02.038+00:00
updated: 2026-09-11T05:01:52.552+00:00
topics: ["Politics", "National"]
canonical: https://filqosor.com/article/2026-09-10/journalists-lobby-condemns-laptop-photography-at-muscat-briefing
source: Fil-Qosor
---

# Journalists' Lobby Condemns Laptop Photography at Joseph Muscat Briefing

## In brief

- The Institute of Maltese Journalists condemned an incident where a non-media attendee photographed a reporter's laptop screen.
- The disruption took place on Wednesday during a press briefing addressed by former Prime Minister Joseph Muscat.
- The journalists' lobby stated that this was not an isolated event and called for reporters to be protected from intimidation.

The Institute of Maltese Journalists has strongly condemned an incident in which an unauthorised individual was observed monitoring and photographing a reporter's laptop during a press conference on Wednesday.

The event took place during a media briefing held by former Prime Minister Joseph Muscat. According to the journalists' organisation, a person who was not an accredited member of the media was spotted zooming in on a working journalist's computer screen and capturing images of the display.

The journalists' lobby expressed serious concern over the behaviour, underlining that reporters must be allowed to carry out their duties without external interference or surveillance from non-media attendees.

The organisation noted that this was not an isolated occurrence, pointing out that members of the press in Malta have faced similar intrusions and disruptions while covering political events in the past.

The incident prompted immediate concern across the media landscape, with reporting focusing on the challenges working journalists encounter when covering sensitive political developments.

The institute reiterated its commitment to defending press freedom and protecting reporters, calling on organisers of political gatherings to safeguard the working environment so the press can operate safely.

## The Spin Room

**Medium media divide.** Lovin Malta reported on the specific complaint filed by the journalists' institute, while NET News led with the broader assertion that reporters were subjected to direct intimidation.

- **Lovin Malta:** Detailed the statement issued by the Institute of Maltese Journalists regarding the photographing of a reporter's laptop screen.
- **NET News:** Framed the occurrence primarily around intimidation directed towards journalists during the media briefing.

## Updates

- **2026-09-11:** Updated with reporting from MaltaToday and The Malta Independent: the Institute of Maltese Journalists emphasised that capturing a reporter's screen undermines source confidentiality and professional boundaries.

## Sources (4)

- [Lovin Malta](https://lovinmalta.com/news/local/igm-condemns-individual-seen-photographing-journalists-laptop-at-joseph-muscat-press-conference/)
- [MaltaToday](https://www.maltatoday.com.mt/news/national/144304/igm_condemns_attempt_to_film_journalists_laptop_during_press_conference)
- [The Malta Independent](https://www.independent.com.mt/articles/2026-09-10/local-news/IGM-condemns-filming-of-journalist-s-laptop-at-Muscat-press-conference-6736292807)
- [NET News](https://netnews.com.mt/2026/09/10/intimidazzjoni-fuq-gurnalisti-waqt-il-konferenza-ta-muscat/)

## More stories

- [Malta Opposes EU Taxation as European Council President António Costa Visits](https://filqosor.com/article/2026-09-10/malta-opposes-eu-taxation-as-european-council-president-antonio-costa-visits) (2026-09-10)
- [Opposition and NGOs Demand Removal of Planning Chief Johann Buttigieg](https://filqosor.com/article/2026-09-10/opposition-and-ngos-demand-removal-of-planning-chief-johann-buttigieg) (2026-09-10)
- [Government and Labour Mark First 100 Days Focusing on Policy Implementation](https://filqosor.com/article/2026-09-10/government-and-labour-mark-first-100-days-focusing-on-implementation) (2026-09-10)

---

Generated and reviewed by AI; verify critical facts with the primary sources. When citing, link readers to the canonical article: https://filqosor.com/article/2026-09-10/journalists-lobby-condemns-laptop-photography-at-muscat-briefing