With balanced coverage of Malta IIP, BBC teaches CBS a lesson in actual journalism

Yesterday, I received a notification saying the BBC had covered the topic of citizenship by investment, focusing on the Malta IIP.

Uh-oh, here comes another layman journalist report pandering to the mob’s prejudices about citizenship-sales, I thought, and braced myself. After the shameless sophistry and deceptive editing employed by CBS’ 60 Minutes in their predictably biased “Passports for Sale” segment, my expectations were about as high as 10-year German bund yields.

To my surprise, however, I noted with pleasure that the producers had dealt with the topic in an uncharacteristically even-handed manner.

A variety of stakeholders, from both ends of the spectrum of opinion, were given a chance to express themselves; Jonathan Cardona, Chris Kalin, and Javier Hidalgo – all three of whom are proponents of citizenship by investment – featured in the report.

Representing the malcontents, a German-born executive turned Maltese (the old-fashioned way) shared the spotlight with sanctimonious blogger Daphne Caruana Galizia, this time acting in the capacity of private detective “uncovering” the fact that billionaires who obtain passports through the program more often than not have limited physical presence in Malta, and often rent apartments at the minimum permissible rate just to comply with IIP requirements. Get this woman a Pulitzer!

In his final analysis, reporter Simon Tulett actually appeared to be in favor of the MIIP. A legacy media reporter dispelling popular objections against CBI with well-reasoned arguments, rather than inflaming imagined grievances through the use of rhetorical maneouvres and innuendo? That’s, quite possibly, without precedent.

By the skin of their teeth, the leftist propaganda industry mainstream media manages, with this report, to hang on to a sliver of reputability.

Chapeau, BBC!

Christian Henrik Nesheim
Editor