THE ELECTIONS

Dominion, Volume 36, Issue 309, 24 September 1943, Page 6

THE ELECTIONS

Covering The News

WARTIME DIFFICULTIES OVERCOME No task makes greater demands upon a daily newspaper organization than that of giving adequate publicity to a general election campaign. Under war conditions tins ta.sk is even more exacting and difficult because of staff shortages, restriction of newsprint supplies and transport limitations. To all New Zealand newspapers the general election of 1943 came as a challenge io journalistic resource. To those metropolitan journals which circulate widely, and in consequence are looked Io by the public for campaign news and (publicity in many electorates. Uiis wartime occasion has been one of unprecedented difficulty. “The Dominion” circulates daily in 27 electorates, city and rural. To cover the respective campaigns in these electorates, anti at the same time to provide advertising space for campaign announcements, meant undertaking to cater directly lor 90 candidates. This, in addition to publishing reports and announcements from all other parts of New Zealand; tracing the progress and outlining the speeches of party leaders and Ministers of the Crown on tour; and, further, providing adequate space each day for war and international news, and domestic events apart from the general election. Wide Coverage. In spite of wartime handicaps—particularly that of space restriction due to the very limited extra supply of newsprint available for the election period—“ The Dominion” has endeavoured to cover the campaign as completely and impartially as possible. Arrangements were made to report at least one speech by each of 99 candidates regardless of his political views or apparent chances of success at the polls, and for the publication of shorter supplementary reports or paragraphed excerpts from speeches as each candidate's campaign progressed. Tills has been accomplished, though the shortness of the period over which the campaign has extended increased the difficulties confronting a war-depleted staff.

It has not always been possible to report every candidate's principal address, (but every effort has -been made to -print 500 or 600-word condensations of speeches which fairly represent the “platforms” and personal opinions of the candidates. Working under extreme difficulties we are pleased to have (been able to ensure that no candidate in the 27 electorates, extending over the southern half of the North Island and the northern portion of the South Island, has been omitted. The great majority, in addition to being specially reported, have been quoted as often as possible in brief paragraphs which appear to have found favour with our readers. The advertising columns have been opened as widely as space permitted to every candidate. To ensure tills equality of treatment within the limited available apace, and with reduced facilities, “The Dominion” was obliged temporarily to curtail Hie alreadyrestricted service available to regular advertisers, and wishes to thank those of the business community concerned who kindly co-operated during this difficult period. Telephone Service.

Because of the acute shortage of staff and materials and the necessity for concentration upon the compilation and analysis of returns' for publication in full oil Monday morning, September 27, “The Dominion’s” giant result board —so familiar a feature of peacetime election nights in Wellington—will not aipjiear on the outside of “The Dominion” Ibuilding on the present occasion.

It lias been possible, however, to provide a telephone service in order that Wellington residents as well as electors in provincial areas may receive prompt, reliable information concerning 'progress results, or final results, in every New Zealand electorate. 'This service will be available from the receipt of the first returns on Saturday evening until 1 a.m. the following morning, and from 6 p.m. to 10 p.m. on Sunday evening. Ring 44-020 Wellington. Seven Lines are Available. Tomorrow's “Dominion” will contain a full-page chart which will enable readers to record results from all 76 European electorates. Opposite each candidate’s name will be found space for the insertion of progress totals. The chart also contains a record of previous results of .by-elections since 1938, of total votes cast, at the last election and the number of voters on each 1943 electoral roll. This record sheet is provided for Hie convenience of our regular readers, and only a limited number of extra copies of tomorrow’s issue will be available-