some depressing reading it paints a picture of a world in which attacks on the media physical and verbal have become more commonplace europe remains the safest place for reporters but it has also slips consider the murder of a maltese reporter who dared to dig and write about corruption in politics. on october sixteenth two thousand and seventeen the multiuse journalist. was killed by a car bomb the reporter had worked tirelessly to expose corruption in the island nation including allegations against prime minister josef most scots family it's still not known who ordered her killing the press watchdog reporters without borders says journalists and threatened by politicians businesses and the justice system this year saw the country drop eighteen places to rank sixty five in the press freedom