DOMINION NEWS

Otago Daily Times, Issue 25564, 17 June 1944, Page 4

DOMINION NEWS

PUBLICITY FOR SOUTH ISLAND REPLY TO LOCAL BODIES "As the person responsible for the sending of news items to the soldieis news-sheets and also the overseas news broadcasts, I can assure you that all the topics selected for these services are judged on a strict news basis. Naturally, national news takes pride of place; then comes local news, and irrespective of locality it is included in the items sent from this office on its reader interest,” states Mr J. T. Paul, Director of Publicity, in a letter to the Mayor of Christchurch (Mr E. H. Andrews), replying to representations from the South Island local bodies’ executive for greater prominence to be given to the South Island in overseas news services. “ I note your assertion that ‘ nearly 90 per cent, of the items ’ have.a ‘ North Island advantage,’ ” the letter continues. “ This estimate is wide of the mark. . . . I have had a return made of the number of items issued last month from this office. A total of 296 items was compiled. Of these 137 could definitely be classed as national —items of equal interest to all New Zealand—9s emanated from the North Island, and 64 from the South Island. This did not mean that the topics from either island were of interest to one island alone, but simply that the source was a particular locality.” “Mr Paul appears to have missed the whole point of the executive’s representations,” said Mr Andrews, comi menting on Mr Paul’s reply. “ What ! we are interested in is seeing that the news services that go overseas from New Zealand give due emphasis to the /economic, industrial, and scenic advantages of the South Island. These advantages are undoubted, but they seldom get recognition in Government news and publioity services.” ,