Criticism of the “Dominion”

Press, 18 April 1980, Page 12

Criticism of the “Dominion”

Sir, — When the Prime Minister last year command- , eered the services of both television channels and a radio network to carry: his-i statement complete and une-( dited, I conjectured (“The Press”, August 21) the reaction of the print media, should they be expected to do the same. Now that Mr Muldoon has attempted to dictate the contents of the “Dominion,” Wellington, does “The Press” still believe that “The Prime Minister should have access as of right to broadcasting” and newspapers? — Yours, etc., JOHN BALNEAVES. April 16, 1980.

[“The Press” believes that on any demonstrably important matter of public interest any Prime Minister should be amply reported. The extent to which a statement, speech, or article might be published in full depends, as in the instance of one television channel broadcasting a full statement on economic measures in July, 1979, on the compliance of those in charge of the medium. As our leading article noted yesterday, the “Dominion” accepted and printed in full a long statement from Mr Muldoon on the Taranaki methanol plant. The newspaper obviously did this because it saw its duty to do so, not because space was commandeered. We endorse the right of the “Dominion” to print what it saw fit from a later statement and we have deplored what we consider an irrelevant and improper threat by Mr Muldoon to force the newspaper to print what it felt need not be printed. In our editorial comment on July 30, 1979, we did not accept any idea that the Prime Minister or the Government has access as of right to broadcasting/— Editor.]