U.S. press ‘over-sensitive’

Press, Volume CXIII, Issue 33189, 31 March 1973, Page 19

U.S. press ‘over-sensitive’

I f.V.Z.P.I -K enter—Copy right) (WASHINGTON. I Mr Herbert Klein, President Nixon's DirecItor of t oinmunications,' lias said that the press and broadcasting industries were sometimes over - sensitive about threats to their free- [ doms. He also told a press club luncneon that the Nixon Administration was not trying to intimidate the press (as some of its critics had charged. “1 submit that the press is I inot intimidated, should not 'be, and never will be,” said Mi Klein, a newspaper, editor himself before joining the White House staff. He said: “The press today is perhaps in the healthiest ■condition it has been for [many, many years.” Citing increased professionalism among journalists and rapidity in communica- ■ lions, Mr Klein added: “The ’American people today are, ■getting more accurate news .taster than at any time in history.” American. journalists; appealed last January to Con-: gress to pass laws prevent-, ing the imprisonment of re- [ porters who refuse to disclose: [information of their news’ [sources. : The appeal was contained in a resolution passed at a [meeting in Panama by the: ■ executive committee of the (1000-member Inter American Press Association which also. [noted that the Nixon Adminlistration had been accused of ‘trying to suppress news. Mr Klein said that it was an exaggeration to assert, that under the Nixon Admin-’ [istration the press was being [threatened with the loss of [its freedom, and suggested 1 that the press should pay ■

more attention to threats' from other directions. I. One of the basic problems I to watch, he said, was the i threat offered by slate [ rather than Federal courts to i subpoena reporters to [ testify before grand juries. Such orders, he added, had : come from Democratic as iwell as Republican-appointed jurists. The greatest challenge to broadcasting. Mr Klein said, lay in the matter of the renewal of licences, which the Nixon Administration was trying to do something about in proposed legislation to extend the present period of licensing to five instead of three years. Mr Klein said that among benefits to the press, developed under the Nixon Administration was major progress in declassifying Government documents.