Media criticised

Press, 9 May 1980, Page 4

Media criticised

>. A criticism by the chair-1 •man of the Heathcote County Council (Mr J. M. ■McKenzie) of the news | "media in Christchurch drew fire from some of his councillors at a finance and .(administration committee] meeting last evening. 1 ' In discussion on a decision | iof the Press Council which I .went against a complaint by: the Heathcote County Coun-: cil about the “Christchurch Star,” Mr McKenzie said: '“The Press” was also guilty! of a “distortion of fact” regarding amalgamation proposals for county councils. ; It was clear that an article in “The Press” of i

i May 2 said that Heathcote | should amalgamate with the 1 Christchurch City Council. | I “In fact, any amalgam- ■ aticn would be with the Banks Peninsula,” Mr Me-] iKenziesaid. | i Matters which he con- ! sidered important, such as, , the proposed Opawa express- i way, had not even been | 'covered by reports in “Thei !Press” about a recent meet-; ing of the council, he said. ) Cr B. K. Roberts said that I Mr McKenzie was getting on '< to dangerous ground by trying to dictate what the news ; media should cover. I Cr J. Richardson said that' ihe hoped the council was

I not going to set itself up as ■ censors. | “When the radio, the ‘Star’ and ‘The Press’ cover items, one might highlight one thing and one the other. I They would not stay in business if they presented the , same thing. I think this is a i lot of fuss about nothing,” ; he said. I Mr McKenzie said he did ; not want to censor any ! newspaper but the facts should not be distorted. > "What the news media try to do is to intimidate the Heathcote County Council. We cannot have a : difference of opinion or we are ‘in-fighting,’ ” he said.