“The Press” And The “Teach-in”

Press, Volume CIV, Issue 30822, 6 August 1965, Page 10

“The Press” And The “Teach-in”

Sir, —Congratulations to “The Press” on at last publishing an article on Vietnam that has the ring of authenticity, though, as Mr Harkness says, two weeks is a very short time in which to arrive at so many and such definite conclusions. They must indeed be obvious. Only one quarter of eligible students voted in the referendum, which makes the result useless and points to the apathy that is so prevalent in New Zealand—apathy that is fostered by the newspapers’ failure to provide accurate information and to report fairly views that are in any way contrary to the . Government’s It is not surprising that the students wish to record their disapproval of “The Press’s” dismissal in five lines of Dr. Flynn’s informative and intensely interesting hour-long address at the “teach-in.”— Yours, etc., MARGARET COLLIER. August 5, 1965.

Sir,—The claim that “The Press” report of the “teachin” was “grossly in favour of Government speakers” seems to me a very superficial one. “The Press” quoted a selfcontradiction by Mr Shand which was hardly in his “favour.” It was also “The Press” report which enabled me to point out to the editor of the university paper the close similarity between a significant statement by Mr Shand and an ideological one by Adolf Hitler, so that the lat-

est issue of “Canta” printed a parallel quote from “Mein Kampf” and from Mr Shand’s speech. As one who was recently given ample space for my views on the Vietnam war by “The Press” but who was refused speaking rights by a jeering mob at a recent university discussion on the same subject, I believe that “The Press” has upheld free speech and fair play far better than its student critics.— Yours, etc., MARK D. SADLER. August 5, 1965.