News media’s duty to report violence—police

Press, 2 July 1986, Page 45

News media’s duty to report violence —police

PA Hamilton Reporting crime and violence is part of the news media’s duty to inform people, says Hamilton’s police district commander, Chief Superintendent Lionel Stevens. He was responding to criticism by Hamilton’s Youth Resource Centre co-ordinator, Mr lan Mclntyre, on the way violence was reported. Mr Mclntyre said a news media campaign on violence was creating fear and misunderstanding, and reports blaming young Maori people unfairly target them. Mr Stevens said he did not think the news media exagerated the level of violence and therefore created fear and misunderstanding. “They’ve got a duty to inform the public. We’re talking about the real world.”

He said he agreed with Mr Mclntyre that young Maori people were not responsible for all the violence in society. However, he said he did not believe recent reports of violence, including one naming “young thugs” responsible, conveyed that message. "I didn’t read that into it myself. It seems to me that crime is news and the papers are conveying to the public what’s going on in the real world,” Mr Stevens said. “The news media has a role to inform people what is going on. Crime is one of those things that is news. M The Social Welfare Department’s head of social work, Miss Althea Vercoe, said she agreed with Mr Mclntyre that more money should go into preventive work. She praised the work

done by the Hamilton Hostel for Street Kids and said that with a city the size of Hamilton there should be more than one such place. “We should be spending more money on preventive measures.” Miss Vercoe said she also agreed the high level of violence in society was not caused by young Maori people. “Unfortunately they’re the ones we hear the most about,” she said. “Maybe there is an unfair emphasis being placed on just who is causing the violence. “Other forms of violence are unfortunately something that we don’t always hear about,” she said. .One example of this was “the amount of violence that is caused by adults, particularly in domestic disputes.”