U.K. Minister attacks journalists’ critics

Press, 24 April 1984, Page 16

U.K. Minister attacks journalists’ critics

NZPA staff correspondent London Politicians who refuse to talk to journalists who will not “lick their boots” have been criticised by the chairman of the British Conservative Party, Mr John Gummer. “The press is not perfect and a politician is entitled to ask for a fair deal,” he said. “But he should not just angrily turn his back on anyone who refuses to lick his boots.” Mr Gummer, a Junior Minister in Mrs Thatcher’s Government, was replying to recent comments by the Labour Party’s deputy leader, Mr Roy Hattersley, who warned that some Labour members of Parliament might refuse to talk to certain journalists. Mr Hattersley told the Guild of British Newspaper Editors that a new and disenchanted generation of Labour politicians would refuse to talk to reporters who persistently distorted Labour’s message. Mr Gummer, speaking in a Welsh by-election campaign, accused Mr Hattersley, a member of the National Union of Journalists, of threatening press freedom in the form of a party “blacklist.” Mr Hattersley’s speech complaining about the preponderant Tory bias in the British press was further proof that the Labour Party

was now “positively paranoid” on the subject, Mr Gummer said. “Mr Hattersley’s idea of freedom is the blacklist,” he said. “He leads the ‘shoot the messenger’ school of politics. “All politicians sometimes have cause to complain about a particular report or a particular programme,” he said. “They have a right to protest and the news media do themselves no

harm if they occasionally r listen.” , Mr Gummer has himself * been involved in a recent - argument with the 8.8. C. over a “Panorama” tele- ! vision programme on Rightwing extremists infiltrating Conservative Party ranks. i The 8.8.C.’s chairman, Mr Stuart Young, has refused to ’ apologise to the Conserva- ; tives for the programme. ■ There was nothing to apolo- > gise for, he said.