Nothing contentious in TV1 interview

Press, Volume CXV, Issue 34031, 20 December 1975, Page 16

Nothing contentious in TV1 interview

(By

KEN COATES)

There was certainly nothing to which the police could legitimately object in TVl’s “Tonight at Nine” interview with a former undercover policeman working on drug cases.

In fact, the interview was very much in the public interest. It therefore came as no surpirse that the police had decided to withdraw the Supreme Court injunction which stopped the programme from being screened on Wednesday night. Television One took a firm stand, and the journalistic principles involved were strongly argued at a meeting between TVI executives. Crown Law Office representatives, and the police yesterday. The programme was not cut, but a police spokesman said in Wellington that the film had been shown to senior police officers. After

discussi.ons with TVI and the Crown Law Office the police had decided to take no further action. HEROIN INJECTIONS

The interview, by Gillian Woodward, described girls injecting themselves with heroin, a process which, no doubt, no viewer particularly relished seeing, but which is now a part of New Zealand society. The interview ais.o indicated something of what the police are doing about the rapidly growing drug problem — at least it was some assurance to know there are undercover men gathering information. But judging by the activities and comments of I this one man, the effort is; not too successful in getting to the root of the problem. And this was where the programme scored: in response to questioning, the undercover man outlined ways in which drugs are smuggled into New Zealand and where they come from.

The pertinent point was brought out that the man resigned because he not only felt he was ratting on his mates, but also that action was not being taken against the people really responsible —the dealers making fat profits from importing. PUBLIC APATHY The most worth-while aspect of the interview was the very valid observation that most parents and middle-aged people just do not realise how big the drug problem is, and have the attitude, “she’ll be right.” Television has a duty to show the good news and the bad. Drugs are continuing bad news which will not go awav if ignored. Television One took a very small bit, but it was topical, well handled, and informative. Rather than back off and slap injunctions on TVI, the police should be working out ways of enlisting the aid of all the media in getting to grips with the cause of the growing drug traffic.