POLICY OF PRESS

Dominion, Volume 31, Issue 124, 19 February 1938, Page 10

POLICY OF PRESS

Full Publicity Given To

Labour Views REPLY TO CRITICISM Government’s Threat To Liberty Of Expression By Telegraph—Press Association. Rotorua, February 18. , Reference to attacks made from time to time on the Press by members of the Government party was made by Mr. C. W. Earle, C.M.G., in his presidential address to the annual meeting of the Newspaper Proprietors Association to-night. These attacks, he said, were no ddubt designed to undermine the influence of the Press and also perhaps in the hope of intimidatWhen the present political party unexpectedly came into office with its policy of socialisation, Mr. Earle said, he, as president of the Newspaper Proprietors’ Association, had made it perfectly clear that, whatever the views of individual newspapers might be, the new Government would be afforded the fullest possible publicity through the Press of the Dominion for its political views and its policy measures. This had always been the practice of the New Zealand Press in the past and that practice would be continued. (

Readers of the daily newspapers would know whether or not that declaration made on behalf of the Press in 1936 had been honoured. He had not the slightest hesitation in saying that the present political party in office had received ■wider and more generous publicity in the news columns of the Press for its political views and policy measures than had been accorded any previous Government, in the history of New Zealand. ITiis publicity; had been extended to the Government, not because of any belief or disbelief in its political philosophy, but because the issues at stake were matters of interest and concern to the general public and it was the duty of the Press as the purveyor or news to keep the public fully informed of the course of events. In this respect he would like to stress the fact that any attempt to undermine and weaken the newspaper Press of the Dominion must if successful, inevitably result in a lowering of the standard of the service which the Press was able to render to the people through the extent and value of its news gathering organisations within the Dominion itself and in countries overseas. To-day the newspapers were beset with many difficulties, and perhaps some dangers. They were threatened by rival forms of publicity sponsored by the Government of the day. They were hampered by restrictive legislation affecting their enterprise and working conditions. Rising costs in wages, materials, transport an’d news services imposed an increased drain on their resources and they had hanging over them the threat of curtailment of the free and unfettered expression of opinion through their columns 'which in the past had been regarded as an unalienable right in liberty-loving British communities.

It was not only desirable but, be thought, essential that the public! which looked ■to the newspapers for. a daily recor'd of the news affecting their interests and welfare should be made aware of these facts. The standard of the Press in New Zealand was admittedly high. It was in the public interest that that standard should not be lowered. Attacks on the Press designed to restrict its liberty and weaken its capacity to render the fullest possible service, therefore, were not merely the concern of the newspapers immediately affected; they were the concern of every member of the community.