THE JOURNALIST’S CODE.

Thames Star, Volume LXII, Issue 17353, 1 May 1928, Page 8

THE JOURNALIST’S CODE.

;g,y. Although there is no need to state the position in this district, where the press attitude to “in committee” ’business is well understood, yet it is interesting to read a lucid explana,t ,/tion of tlie procedure adopted by all ■well-regulated newspapers in regard *to reporting public meetings, as pu!b- ---:!■ 'dished editorially by the Christchurch : Press recently :• —“The newspaper P." rule is this: When any meeting is A held to which newspapers are asked or permitted to send reporters, the /reporters will tell their papers whatp e\ r er happened in open meeting, 'but ||f: they do not, and will not, report, even 0- privately to their papers, what niay & have been said when the meeting deEjjjbjared itself'’ in committee.’ Amongst the utter unforgivable V sin is breach of faith or trust, and their trustworthiness is best known kvjto those who have most to do with Hi.thc press. This is so well known A. that well-mannered people in charge I- of public meetings know that they jtjfcan discuss ‘in committee’ the most * delicate problems, with the reporters V present, in the full confidence that nothing will be reported, and that | even the employers of the reporters | . would be-refused any information if jfythev were so absurd as to ask for it. feThat is the newspaper rule, and pub%lic meetings must, and all public competently managed do, lifrecognise it and act accordingly.”