DAVENTRY'S ERROR.

Auckland Star, Volume LXXI, Issue 220, 16 September 1940, Page 6

DAVENTRY'S ERROR.

ARRIVAL OF TWO SHIPS NEWS STALE WHEN RELEASED An erroneous statement in a Daventry broadcast, which astonished and disturbed those New Zealanders and Australians who heard it, has now been officially explained. The statement was that two well-known ships had arrived in South African waters—though at that moment one of them was in an Australian port, and the other in a New Zealand port. Attention was publicly drawn to this statement in an editorial article in the "Auckland Star," and the absolute necessity of ensuring accuracy in news broadcasts was stressed. The "Star's" article was forwarded to London, where the director of a company associated with New Zealand was so impressed with its importance that he communicated it to the 8.8.C. and the Ministry of Information. The reply, from the broadcasting division of the Ministry of Information, has now been received.

"We are very grateful to you for drawing i our attention to this lapse," says the Ministry. "Actually the case was reported at the time, and a fuller investigation was made." It was found that the news of the arrival of the ships in South African waters wae held back for security reasons. "Unfortunately, when it was considered safe to release the news, no indication wae given to the JPrees or to the 8.8.C. that the item referred to a state of affaire a week or two old. Thus it was published aa being fresh news. The unfortunate effect upon listeners in New Zealand ie fully understood, and we do not expect that a similar slip will be made again."