TV accused of ‘caving in’ to politicians

Press, 1 June 1984, Page 4

TV accused of ‘caving in’ to politicians

PA Wellington I Television’s management has given in to political pressures, says the Labour Party’s publicity director, Mr Simon Walker. He told the Wellington South Rotary club yesterday that shortcomings in teleI vision news arose not only from errors by journalists but from a “failure of will” among Television New Zealand’s management. This failure of will was most obvious in management dealings with politicians, Mr Walker said. “I am not talking about bias ... I don’t imagine closet conspiracies to push sectional political interests. “I am talking about weakness, about spinelessness, about giving in to pressure; all of which characteristics television has come to assume under its present administration.” Mr Walker, a former television current affairs journalist, said the Prime Minister, Sir Robert Muldoon, had a perfect right to try to dictate who would interview him and on what subjects. He was entitled to duck questions and avoid issues. “Naturally, Sir Robert would prefer not to be asked questions which he will have difficulty or embarrassment in answering. He appears on television to sell himself and his party.”

But the news media, and particularly television, had an obligation to stand up to “bullyboy tactics” whoever adopted them, Mr Walker said. After years of Sir Robert’s refusing to be interviewed by lan Fraser, who was clearly the most competent and skilled interviewer on television, TVNZ had finally backed down and given Sir Robert another interviewer on the “Sunday” programme. “Indeed, one speculates that the entire justification for ‘Sunday’ and dropping ‘Newsmakers’ was to get Sir Robert on to television’s top current affairs programme.” At the last election TVNZ had changed the political programmes because Sir Robert would not be interviewed by lan Fraser. Mr Walker said broadcasting management was not biased and there was no plot to keep Sir Robert in power. “Their attitude is one of ‘caveness.’ They cave in to people in positions of authority, especially Prime Ministers.” Now there was nothing to stop Mr Lange, Mr Bob Jones or Mr Beetham picking who would interview them. Caving in to pressure incited politicians to exert

more pressure, Mr Walker said. After Mr Beetham complained about lack of coverage there had been an almost immediate increase in reports about Social Credit The Broadcasting Corporation had been reduced to two instinctive approahces to political journalism: “Accede to important people who threaten you, and don’t rock the boat unnecessarily,” Mr Walker said. “An example of that was Radio New Zealand’s weakkneed ban on stories and statements on abortion before the debate on the ‘Kidd Bill’ last year. “What an appalling approach to journalism to refuse to cover a newsworthy story on the grounds it would be less embarrassing to ignore it,” he said. Giving in to threats from prominent people, especially politicians and the Prime Minister, was the equivalent of paying ransom money to a terrorist group. “You never know when it will stop and it encourages everyone else to try the same thing,” Mr Walker said. Mr lan Cross, chairman of the Broadcasting Corporation declined last evening to comment