THE OFFICIAL “NEWS” BULLETINS BY RADIO.

Timaru Herald, Volume CXLV, Issue 21087, 13 July 1938, Page 6

THE OFFICIAL “NEWS” BULLETINS BY RADIO.

One of the most arresting features so far of the closing session of the Parliament is the broadcasting activity from all stations in general, and in particular, what the announcer delights to describe as the “Dominion station of the national broadcasting service,” with the official news bulletin. The news sessions issued from the Prime .Minister’s Department have long since lost all claim to be regarded as impartial news, because the bulletin has steadily descended into unadulterated propaganda. One of the features of the news session on Saturday evenings is described as the Week in Parliament, by “Observer.” This literally reeks with political bias; so much so that “Observer” thought so much of one of the insults Mr Semple hurled at. the Opposition that he recounted it with great relish. This “piquancy,” in “Observer's” view consisted of a Minister of the Crown denouncing a particularly active member of the Opposition, and, concluding by saving that the Member’s political record could In- written on Ihe back of a postage stamp with a carpenter’s pencil. This is “the Observer's’’ idea of impartial news! The newspapers gave the palm in the debate last week to the Hon. D. G. Sullivan and the Kt. Hon. G. IV. Forbes. No so in “Observer.” He could see nothing but the Labour benches. Manifestly an observer who speaks over the national broadcasting service which, after all is the property of the State, and not the sole possession of the Labour Party, anil pretends to review the week in Parliament ought to open both eyes occasionally! It is realised, of course, that Ministers of the Crown, because of their association with the affairs of State, must necessarily come before the public oftener than the Leader and members of the Opposition, but if the official news bulletin is to be continued as at present, the name should be changed, or a fairer treatment of the news insisted on by (he Prime Minister, under whose authority the bulletin is issued each night. It is more than likely, however, that the Government may discover, as the broadcasting authorities in the Homeland anticipated, in placing definite restrictions on the news that is included in the B.B.C’s news, that the use of broadcasting for political propaganda purposes might not inconceivably become a two-edged sword in the hands of the users.