Watchdog System For Commonwealth Press

Press, Volume CVI, Issue 31086, 15 June 1966, Page 24

Watchdog System For Commonwealth Press

(N.Z. Press Association—Copyright) LONDON, June 13. The chairman of the British Press Council, Lord Devlin, today outlined a blueprint for establishing a voluntary watchdog system over the press in Commonwealth countries.

Speaking to more than 60 delegates at the annual conference of the Commonwealth Press Union, he said the governing purpose of the 13-year-old British Press Council was to ensure press freedom and “its inseparable companion,” the maintenance of good standards. He said the idea of the council—the idea of an organised voluntary restraint—was significant in the development of press freedom. Lord Devlin then outlined what he thought were essential conditions for the effec-

tive function of a press coun-; oil on the British model. “You can then consider whether they are present in your different countries and whether the idea is adaptable,” he said. X. There should be a general acceptance by the press itself that control was desirable. There would be, as in any profession, powerful voices raised against control of any sort. 2. The Government, whatever form it took, should be responsive to public opinion and should accept that the press had a constitutional part to play in the formation and expression of opinion. This meant something more than lip-service to the freedom of the press. It meant that public men, who might resent criticism as unfair and ill - informed sometimes rightly so for the critic was not always right—should be prepared to tolerate it as part of a process to which they were subject. A public man "must accept publicity when he does not want it in the same spirit as he gladly takes it when he wants and needs it,” said Lord Devlin. 3. The press should accept standards of conduct and conform to them. That did not necessarily mean a written code of rules enforceable by penalties. But it did mean the individual journalist could not decide for himself the standards which he chose to observe. “No man can be allowed to be a law unto himself, and the public will not accept, and can not be expected to accept, that in this respect the journalist is more virtuous than the ordinary citizen,” said Lord Devlin.

The function of the Press Council was to settle standards. There need not be formal penalties, provided that there was general willingness to observe the standards settled.

4. A newspaper should accept the obligation to publish adjudications of the council against itself. 5. The public must be represented on the council. “The press is free because the public as a whole want it to be. This inevitably means that the public Is concerned in the way in which freedom is exercised,” said Lord Devlin.

6. The council should stand up for the freedom and rights of the press as well as to censure misconduct. Asked whether reporters should disclose their source of information. Lord Devlin said: ”1 don't think journalists can expect to decide entirely for themselves, where matters of national security are concerned, whether they

-are going to respect confidence or not. ■ “On the other hand, I don't j think any tribunal should be 1 allowed to decide entirely whether it is going to enforce a breach of confidence. There 1 ought to be a middle course > in which some sort of inquiry - should be made." ’ Ownership Legislation t The meeting was told that a committee was being established, under the chairman- ' ship of the former Attomey- , General (Lord Shawcross), to - investigate whether legisla- _ tion, enacted or contemplated ’in several Commonwealth countries to restrict the ownership of newspaper publishing companies, was likely to ! affect press freedom. The meeting decided it was ! not its function to decide ‘ whether private television and * radio enterprises which provided news programmes , should be allowed union mem- { bership. , There were 174 television stations in the Common- [ wealth, about 90 per cent of 5 which were owned or partt owned by newspapers, the i meeting was told. I