The Shift News

Description

The Shift News is a community-funded online news portal based in Malta. It is dedicated to investigative journalism and the defence of press freedom. It also serves as a platform for political, cultural and social commentary from civil society.

Its founders say Malta needed journalism that speaks truth to power, without fear or favour. They describe Malta’s media landscape as stifled by political interference and control. To protect its independence, The Shift refuses to accept funding or advertising from the government or from political parties. It says it is the only Maltese newsroom that publishes an annual financial statement detailing its funds and expenditure.

The Shift focuses on in-depth investigations and press freedom advocacy. It aims to shift a media landscape it says is dominated by political party ownership and government control of the public sphere. The organization says its independence and investigative reporting have been recognised by media partners including Reporters Without Borders and the International Press Institute.

It has also been recognised by the US Embassy, which gave The Shift its 2020 Award for Courage. The Financial Times’ Sifted named it one of the best European start-ups in 2021. Co-founder Caroline Muscat received Reporters Without Borders’ 2019 Press Freedom Prize for Independence.