REPORTING OF LOCAL BODIES

Press, Volume XCI, Issue 27643, 27 April 1955, Page 9

REPORTING OF LOCAL BODIES

Journalists’ Status

CLARIFICATION SOUGHT BY UNION

(New Zealand Press Association) WELLINGTON, April 25. Clarification of the rights of press representatives and the public at local body meetings l is . sought by the Wellington Journalists’ Union. <

At its annual metittg on Saturday night, the union decided to urge tfie -New> Zealand Journalists’ Association <to, try to have the status of reporters dmi the public at such meetings defined clearly, preferably by statute. The meeting had discussed instances of local bodies dealing with important measures in committee, so that reporting of them was for ’ bidden. In some cases, speakers claimed, it was regular practice for reporters to be removed when the meeting they were attending went into committee. When this occurred they were left to gather information about the proceedings as best they could —usually .by approaching the chairman afterwards.

Members said that in some instances they did not learn of important dec^i? ns taken id committee till news of them came through other channels. In Court proceedings, reporters had certain privileges aimed at allowng them to carry out their job of informing the public through the press. Though the public was sometimes cleared from courtrooms in the interests of order or decency, this was unusual, and even then reporters were allowed to stay. Speakers urged the establishment of some rights similarly at local body meetings where, they said, the spending of public funds and other matters affecting the public were at issue.