BRODCASTING AND THE PRESS

Press, Volume LXXIII, Issue 22103, 27 May 1937, Page 12

BRODCASTING AND THE PRESS

"ALLY OF HONOURABLE JOURNALISM" 8.8. C. DIRECTOR AT EMPIRE CONFERENCE LONDON, May 25. Sir John Reith, the director, addressing the annual conference of the Empire Press Union, indicated that he could talk more freely'when he left the British Broadcasting Corporation. It meant much that the Empire programmes enabled Big Ben to be heard throughout the Empire, he said. These programmes were specially devised, and were not merely overflows from the British programmes. They went out for 17 hours daily, but, owing to the novel problems of short-wave broadcasting to oversea countries, it was impossible to prohesy their indefinite continuance. Sir John said he did not think that the Dominions' broadcasting organisations were jealous. Wireless news bulletins were at first opposed, but now they were accepted everywhere. How long could anybody withhold the vital news of the Empire? The bulletins gave a taste of the news, but nobody within reach of a newspaper would remain content • 'ith that. Europe was at present in a tremulous state. Every mutilated division of it looked to England for information and courage. The press prided itself on its freedom, Sir John said, but he doubted whether there was any freedom which should not be conditioned by moral responsibility or otherwise. The New Zealand Government had taken over broadcasting, but it retained much of its former freedom and independence, whereas in Germany, Italy, and Russia broadcasting was the mouthpiece of the State. A controlled press and controlled broadcasting meant biased, tainted, and censored news. It was harder to exercise unscrupulous influences when the reading was also the listening public. Broadcasting was the ally of honourable journalism. The more the press cared for the Empire, the more it could help in perfecting the Empire broadcasting service. Sir Arthur Willert, the former head of the news department at the Foreign Office, spoke on the noxious forms of foreign propaganda in broadcasting. Sir Stanley Reed said that Italian propaganda must defeat itself by its very violence and unreason.