REPORTING PUBLIC MEETINGS.

Waipa Post, Volume 36, Issue 2148, 24 April 1928, Page 4

REPORTING PUBLIC MEETINGS.

ON various occasions all newspapers have been criticised for the attitude they have taken with regard to reports of public discussions, and especially in reference to matters dealt with in committee.” In view of the apparent ignorance that prevails in certain quarters in respect to such matters we are speaking generally and without reference to any particular instance or local body—we publish below a lucid explanation, of the procedure adopted by all well-regulated newspapers in regard to reporting public meetings, as published editorially by the Christchurch Press recently: “ The newspaper rule is this: When any meeting is held to which newspapers are asked or permitted to send reporters, the reporters will tell their papers whatever happened in open meeting, but they do not and will not report, even privately to their papers, what may have been said when the meeting declared itself ‘in committee.’ Amongst journalists the utter, unforgivable sin is breach of faith or trust, and their trustworthiness is best known to those who have most to do with the press. This is so well known that well-mannered people in charge of public meetings know that they can discuss ‘ in committee ’ the most delicate problems, with the reporters present, in the full confidence that nothing will be reported, and that even the employers of the reporters would be refused any information if they were so absurd as to ask for it. That is the newspaper rule and public meetings must, and all public meetings should, have regard to it.”