United Women's Convention

Press, 10 June 1977, Page 12

United Women's Convention

Sir, — As a woman who attended the United Women’s Convention, 1 would like to

say thanks to “The Press” for fair and good coverage. It shows that some members of the media, in spite of restricted access, did not allow their emotions to distort their reporting. — Yours, etc., D. GREEN. June 7, 1977. Sir, — I wonder how many of the women voting to exclude the media from Monday’s proceedings at the United Women’s Convention really understood what they were doing. By discriminating against journalists, they cast the same slur against individual integrity and capability that- we were trying to eliminate, and defeated the positive aspects of the experiences gained during the previous two days. The selfish attitude of one small group came close to destroying that atmosphere of co-operation while losing valuable allies, at a time when they are needed, to widen areas of contact within the community. If I learned nothing else at the week-end, I learned the effects a minority group can have. I hope that support for future conventions is not in jeopardy. — Yours, etc., DIANE R. JOHNS. June 7, 1977. Sir, — Reading your editorial article of June 7 headed “How not to use the media.” I wondered whether you had your tongue in your cheek: the heading so aptly described the article. You wrote of women who “demonstrated their disunity” because a minority disagreed with a majority. You said that “the convention is likely

to be remembered mainly for the squabble ... a minor issue perhaps ... ”, Is it perhaps through the media that it will be mainly remembered for this minor issue? Would not 30 or 40 journalists (even women) have given a fair coverage of the convention — or were you afraid they would be too “sympathetic”? Most of the article is a caricature of how not to use the media including, finally, your threat “we shall be more discriminating in publicising future conventions unless . ”, Were you saying ‘Do it our way or else”? Or was it all a joke? — Yours, etc., J. E. T. TROUGH!. June 8, 1977. [No. — Editor.)