Publicity ban keeps public in the dark

Press, 9 May 1979, Page 17

Publicity ban keeps public in the dark

Health Reporter

An advertising ban is preventing the Christchurch public from attending “open” lectures at the Christchurch Clinical School. The ban by clinical school authorities applies to advertising in newspapers, radio or television of the frequent lectures given for public consumption. Many of these are feature lectures given by visiting medical and paramedical specialists from overseas. No such ban applies to similar lectures held at the University of Canterbury, the Christchurch Technical Institute or the Christchurch Teachers’ College. In an endeavour to drum up support for many of the clinical school lectures, organisers must spend large amounts of money posting out invitations to community groups. But most of the public never learn of the lectures. The ban runs counter to universities’ traditional practice of encouraging wide exposure of the public to informed opinion. It has been applied be- , cause of security problems at the clinical school. Pub- ' lie access to upper floors i of the school where re- j search activities are i carried out is considered I “inappropriate.” Access I for staff and students, however, must be maintained to the Canterbury

Medical Library on -the sixth floor, which is generally’ open most evenings when “open public” lectures are held. The academic secretary for the clinical school (Mr J. G. Riminton) said yesterday that the building could not be made secure. It was a fundamental mistake to place the library on the sixth floor. If it were not necessary to keep the library open, public access to upper floors could be barred and the lecture theatre on the first floor made more accessible. Professor W. A. MacBeth, professor of surgery at the Clinical School, said the decision to ban public advertising negated one of the University of Otago’s main public responsibilities — to inform and educate. Many of the clinical school staff did not know of the ban, he said, but moves were under way to have the ban rescinded. “This decision was taken without the staff being properly consulted. Staff opinion will, I’m sure, see it ended.”