Free press ‘often taken for granted’

Press, 20 October 1980, Page 25

Free press ‘often taken for granted’

PA Wellington We are all inclined to take our free press too much for granted; says the British High Commissioner, Mr Richard Stratton. > As a guest speaker at the presentation of the 1980 Dulux journalism and photography awards, he was making his first public address since he took up his appointment in New Zealand,... He said that a few months ago. there was .a lively debate’in the United Kingdom about the alleged lack of freedom of the British press. . It was claimed, that Cabinet solidarity, D-hotices, Government press officers, and proprietary and editorial control ensured that the British public -read only what the Government and the press barons considered good for them. '...Mr Stratton con-

fessed that- in he was a conservative (with a small c). He did not favour what was now called “open government,” and the premature publication of confidential advice that was never intended to be published at all. Too often this led to toadying and to wrong decisions taken for . the wrong reason. Personally he found these allegations of lack of freedom wide of the mark. There were abuses and scandals, but there was another side to the picture, Mr Stratton said. In some countries there was a deliberately controlled press. TfiCfS WSs a perfectly respectable, but to him unconvincing, intellectual case for this. The argument ran that n e w 1 y-independent, or socially divided,- countries could not afford the luxury of a multiplicity of newspapers, or indeed a

proliferation of political parties; some of which might criticise the govern 3 ment, because this would jeopardise the countries’ unity, prosperity, and social cohesian. In such countries there were complaints that Western neWs media exercised too great an influence in the country’s affairs, exaggerated their shortcomings, and played down their successes.

“The best way to counter this criticism is not to scrap, say, Reuters; but to increase our technical assistance,” Mr Stratton said. “I think it is a perfectly legitimate complaint that we are riot doing enough in this field of activity arid that we should ,do riibre so that journalists iri these countries can project better their countries’ image —- if they are alloWed to do so.