News, Ltd., Undertakes To Establish “Dominion” Trust

Press, Volume CIII, Issue 30366, 15 February 1964, Page 12

News, Ltd., Undertakes To Establish “Dominion” Trust

(From Our Own Reporter) WELLINGTON, February 14. The Australian bidder for the “Dominion,” News, Ltd., of Adelaide, is prepared to setup a trust to guarantee the editorial independence of the “Dominion” in perpetuity.

The managing-director of News, Ltd. (Mr K. R. Murdoch) said tonight that the proposal would have to be studied in detail if his bid for the “Dominion” was successful, but the general idea was the formation of a permanent trust to appoint the editor and to guarantee permanently his editorial independence. A trust along the lines of “The Times” Trust or the “Observer” Trust, in Britain, was envisaged, Mr Murdoch said. He agreed that “The Tinies” Trust did not safeguard the editorial independence of its editor, being concerned with controlling the ownership of the paper. “I think that is true of ‘The Times’ Trust, but I do not think it is true of the ‘Observer’ Trust,” he said. He emphasised that the control envisaged for the “Dominion” would specifically guarantee editorial independence. Obviously, he said, the editor could not be answerable to a board of trustees on

day-to-day control of the newspaper. The trustees would be concerned with the the appointment of the editor and with matters 6f broad Principle. Mr Murdoch made it clear that the trust was not just an idea, but that News, Ltd., was committed to its establishment if the group should gain control of the “Dominion.” ’ It is understood that the commitment is in writing in the form of a letter to the Prime Minister (Mr Holyoake). , Asked if his group were daunted by unofficial reports that the Government might legislate to prohibit the acquisition of control of New Zealand-based newspapers by any overseas interests, Mr Murdoch said: “What the Government does it its own business. If it legislates against me, that is the end of the matter..lf it does not—and it hasn’t yet—l am free to work.” In a recent article in “Punch,” Lord Francis-Wil-

lianas said of "Th® Times” Trust; “In theory, ‘The Times’ policy is controlled absolutely by its two principal proprietors; Lord Astor, of Hever, and Mr John Walter, sen. Its constitution- is quite specific about this. Contrary to general belief there are no provisions in The Times’ Trust, which exists solely to ensure that it can never be owned except by persons approved by a formidable group of public dignitaries, which safeguard the independence of the editor or give him the final word in editorial policy. However, 'The Times’ tradition, that formidable instrument of corporate history which even Lord Northcliffe found too much for him, accepts the primacy of the editor in such matters, and there is in practice little doubt that it will be Sir William Haley who decides on which side the massive influence of ‘The Times’ shall be thrown when the General Election comes.”