MORE ABOUT “BIAS”

Sun (Auckland), Volume III, Issue 748, 22 August 1929, Page 7

MORE ABOUT “BIAS”

PRESS AND PARLIAMENT MR. O'BRIEN AGAIN (The SUN’S Parliamentary Reporter) PARLIAMENT BLDGS., Wed. The question of alleged bias in reporting, it seems is going to be always with us, for although the Prime Minister answered a recent question of Mr. J. O'Brien (Westland), to the effect that the Government could not see its way clear to establish a State newspaper, Mr. O’Brien still inveighed against the Press of the Dominion. Sir Joseph Ward's reply was that the Government could not see its way clear to establish a State newspaper, but, regarding the reporting of Parliamentary speeches, he had already indicated generally to the House his personal opinions. Mr. O’Brien spoke again, saying that never before in the history of New Zealand had the control of the Press gone into the hands of a few people, and never before had there been such distortion or suppression of speeches. He said some statements made were never reported, and said that, for example, only three papers had published the Minister of Public Works’ (Hon. E. A. Ransom) allegation that the late residence of the Prime Minister had cost in repairs £10,500 in three years. Mr. D. J"ones (Mid-Canterbury) had been given two columns in some papers, and had made statements which had been proved to be misrepresentations, yet not one paper in New Zealand had reported the contradictions. Mr. O’Brien was warned by Mr. Speaker here that he was entering on controversial ground. Mr. Jones interjected, and said that he had been reading the “Maoriland Worker,” and it had not reported his speech. Mr. P. Fraser (Wellington Central) : Shocking! Mr. F. Langstone (Waimarino) suggested that a very easy remedy would be to take away the railway, telegraphic, and postal privileges of the newspapers. Personally, he did not care if he did not get a line in the newspapers. While on the question of the State newspaper it is interesting to note that in the annual report of the Government printing office the sales and circulation of Hansard are given. Hansard is a State paper for Parliamentary news, yet the number printed of each issue of this time for the session 1928 was 6,900, number of subscribers 138, and the amount received from sales and subscribers £199. Of the Gazette 1,120 copies of each issue were published, the number of subscribers was 532 and the amount -received from subscribers and sales £3.193.