RESPONSIBILITIES OF PRESS

Southland Times, Issue 25548, 16 December 1944, Page 4

RESPONSIBILITIES OF PRESS

Correction Of Errors (P.A.) WELLINGTON, December 15. Mr P. G. Connolly (Lab., Dunedin West), in the House of Representatives today asked the Prime Minister, Mr Fraser, as Minister in charge of the Electoral Department, whether his attention had been drawn to an editorial in The Dominion yesterday containing “serious errors and distortions of fact” concerning the dispatch of instructions to the special returning officers in the servicemen’s poll in the general election. Mr Connolly asked Mr Fraser if he would state whether consideration would be given to the question of making it obligatory for the Press to publish corrections for errors of fact. Mr Fraser said consideration must be given to the obligations of the Press, as it should recognize that unrestricted freedom to publish errors of fact at all time carried a responsibility to publish corrections, but particularly when these had been pointed out, as had been done in this case.