Reporters To Remain At Meetings In Committee

Press, Volume CII, Issue 30092, 28 March 1963, Page 21

Reporters To Remain At Meetings In Committee

(New Zealand Press Association)

DUNEDIN. March 27. Newspaper representatives will be allowed to remain at meetings of the Otago University Council during incommittee discussions. This policy was adopted yesterday by the council on the recommendation of a special committee appointed to study the Local Bodies Meeting Act, 1962. The chancellor (Dr. H. J. Ryburn) said the committee had no difficulty in reaching agreement. It was in the interests of the university that there should be accurate and intelligent reports of council proceedings. It was necessary, therefore, for reporters to be present during in-committee discussions to have background for their reporting. Under the new act, newspapers have no special privileges. They are treated like other members of the public and reporters may be excluded from meetings at the same stage as the public.

The council had always been anxious to co-operate fully with the newspaper)) in the responsible reporting to the public of its decisions, said the special committee’s report. For many years, in accordance with this policy, it had invited representatives from newspapers to remain at meetings while matters for valid reasons were discussed in committee.

The council had valued its continued good relations with the newspapers and had no wish to depart from this attitude, the committee said in recommending a continuation of this policy. Dr. Ryburn said he knew of no complaints concerning the reporting of matters discussed in committee. The council has also decided to keep a separate minute book on business dealt with in open council which can be made available to the public on request. There was nothing sinister in this, Dr. Ryburn said. It was the most sensible way of complying with the act.