EMPIRE PRESS UNION

Grey River Argus, 25 January 1943, Page 2

EMPIRE PRESS UNION

PROBLEMS OF NEWS GATHERING ANNUAL REPORT ’ PRESENTED. (Rec. 6.30) Jan. 23. “The Empire Press Union's chief problem has been to ensure that the British and overseas Press receives a fair share of the scanty news facilities.” states the annual report of the Council of the Union. “Almost all news has to be gathered, or rather sqeezed from the Government Public Relations Bureau. Some of these offices .are valuable, but it can hardly be said that their output of usable Press material has been projjortionate to the expansion of the Public Relations staffs. The fighting service departments, especially 'the Admiralty, has been accused of undue reluctance to release material which, without helping the enemy, could assist the Press war effort.” The success of the Empire-wide penny Press rate is illustrated by the increase in Press traffic in 1942 to 92.000,000 words, compared with 25,000,000 in 1938, for which reason it is not surprising that there are delays, particularly on the Australian circuit. Various plans for expediting the traffic are- being considered, but it is unlikely that normal speed can be attained while war difficulties remain. The 8.8. C. still received preferential treatment from some official quarters. The Council had been assured that the 8.8. C. was subject to; equal censorship with the Press, but a strong impression remained among Empire correspondents that the H.ts. C enjoyed definite advantages, because’ the censors were members of the 8.8. C. staff, although their appointment was nominally subject -o the Chief Censor’s approval.