CONTROL OF N.Z. PRESS

Bay of Plenty Times, Volume LXXV, Issue 14430, 31 July 1947, Page 3

CONTROL OF N.Z. PRESS

POSSIBILITY OF AN INQUIRY Prime Minister Is Non-committal Mr Doidge’s Tribute To Newspapers (P.A.) Wellington, July 30. Whether there was. necessity for an inquiry into the ownership and financial control of the newspapers of New. Zealand similar to that undertaken in Britain was a question which would receive. the “very careful consideration” of the Government, said' the Prime Minister, the Et. Hon. P: Fraser, in the House of Representatives today, in reply to a question asked by Dr. A. M. Finlay-(Government—North Shore) Dr Finlay had asked for such an inquiry “with the view to assuring the people of this country that they enjoy the greatest possible freedom of the press.” Mr Fraser, in his reply, said the freedom of-the press was obviously of great importance. It could not in any fair •or understandable sense, be confined to the right of proprietors of newspapers to publish whatever matter they might decide should be published, but must include the acceptance and discharge by them of the high responsibility of ensuring that there wasm fair selection of news and a fair representation of views in their columns. Mr F, W. Doidge (Opposition— Tauranga) described the Prime Minister’s reply as a very grudging one. None knew better than the Prime Minister that New Zealand newspapers . had a high standard from every point of view; for instance, Government members consistently received far more space in the news l columns than did ■ members of the Opposition. That was only right, but it showed that the newspapers were thoroughly fair. Mr Doidge said the Government had always hated and feared criticism and would like to get control of the newspapers, as it had of the broadcasting system. then make newspaper editors into yesmen similar to those yesmen sitting on the Government benches. Mr Doidge criticised instances of what he termed unwarranted censorship •by the Government during the war, and recalled an observation of the Chief Justice that the powers of the wartime Director of Publicity exceded the powers of the Pontiff,