The Shift

Journalist Caroline Muscat was a news editor for the Sunday Times of Malta when anti-corruption investigative journalist Daphne Caruana Galizia was killed in October 2017. Muscat knew that political parties dominated the national media, but Galizia's assassination was unprecedented, revealing that press freedom was seriously at risk in the country.

Along with three colleagues, she founded The Shift in only two weeks. It aims to investigate and expose the wrongdoings of the people in power, following Galizia's example. It is the only publication in Malta entirely devoted to investigative journalism.

Muscat says: "The Shift came out from a sense of frustration. We were committed and determined but didn't have any business plan." Her three colleagues quit shortly after founding the outlet, while Muscat accepted not to take a salary for at least the first year. Today, the newsroom comprises five people working full-time. The organisation publishes its information in English to reach the European audience. Muscat says: "Our coverage is national, but the dimension of our topics is international." Indeed, cross-border collaborations are crucial to avoid Malta's isolation.

The Shift does not accept government funds. It is community-supported and funded by a growing number of international grants. In 2019, Muscat received the Reporters Without Borders Press Freedom Prize for Independence as the founder of The Shift.

In 2021, The Shift was named one of the best European media start-ups to watch by Sifted.eu.

The newsroom plans to increase advertising as a source of revenue. The Shift is a member of the International Press Institute (IPI) and Reporters Without Borders, and aims to serve as a watchdog of press freedom in the country.