FREEDOM URGED

Poverty Bay Herald, Volume LXIV, Issue 19334, 26 May 1937, Page 5

FREEDOM URGED

PRESS AND RADIO

AFFAIRS OF THE EMPIRE

STATE SWAY OPPOSED

POSSIBLE BIAS IN NEWS

(Klec. Tel. Copyright—United Press Assn.) (Reed. May L'ti, noon.) LONDON, May 20. Sir John Keith, aouressing the annual conference of the Empire Press Union, indicated that he could talk more freely when lie left the Broadcasting Corporation.

It meant much that the Empire programmes* enabled Big Ben to be heard throughout the Empire. These programmes -were specially devised and were not merely overflows from British programmes. They went out for 17 hours daily, but owing to the novel problems of. short-wave broadcasting to oversea countries, i: was impossible to (prophesy an indefinite continuance.

He did not think the Dominions broadcasting organisations were jealous of the wireless. The news bulletins were at first' opposed, but now they were accepted everywhere. How long, he asked, could anybody withhold vital news. Taste of News The Empire bulletins gave a taste of news, but nobody within the reach of a newspaper'.would remain content with that.

Europe was at present in a tremendous state. Every mutilated division of it looked to England for information and courage.

"Wo must look to our politicians for courage, hoping, not very hopefully, for the best information which interested both the press and the Broadcasting Corporation, said Sir John. The press prided itself on its freedom. He doubted whether there was any freedom which should not bo conditioned by moral responsibility or otherwise. New Zealand System The New Zealand Government had taken over broadcasting, but if retained much of tho former freedom and independence, whereas in Germany, Italy and Kussia, the broadcast was"the mouthpiece of a State-con-trolled press, and controlled broadeasting meant biassed, tainted and censored news. It was harder to excise unscrupulous influences when reading was also listening. Public, broadcasting was an ally of honourable journalism. The more the press cared for tho Empire, the moro it could help in perfecting the Empire broadcasting service. Sir Arthur Willert spoke on noxious forms of foreign propaganda in broadcasting.

Sir Stanley Reed said that Italian propaganda must defeat itself by its very violence and unreason.