WAR NEWS

Wairarapa Times-Age, 9 January 1942, Page 3

WAR NEWS

CRITICISAI OF BRITISH FACILITIES EMPIRE PRESS UNION REPORT. COMPLAINT OF UNDUE RETICENCE. (By Telegraph—Press Association—Copyright) LONDON, January 7. The Council of the Empire Press Union in its annual report criticises news facilities and censorship, and emphasises the fundamental fact that peoples of the Dominions, India and the colonies need information and direction from their own Press as urgently as the British, perhaps more urgently. The council considers that the inclusion of Empire correspondents in Press tours and conferences is still inadequate, though neglect to include them is rarer lately.

“Many official quarters still fail to grasp the urgency of Empire correspondents’ work in interpreting the war to British people overseas,” the report says. “The Greek and Crete operations were typical examples. The New Zealand and Australia Press were not given an opportunity to prepare the public of those Dominions for news of defeat in a country where the. Dominions' troops were not previously known to be fighting. “The reason for the Ministry’s weakness is well known to be dependence on other departments for the release of news, particularly the constant reluctance of the Admiralty and the War Office to release anything. “This reluctance, primarily based on avoidance of helping the enemy, has developed to a degree of reticence suggesting failure to grasp the importance of news as affecting the civilian war effort. The effect of this is especially bad overseas.”

The report’ states that the position of the overseas Press in relation to the crucial problem of censorship has definitely improved during the past year.

"The new Empire penny-a-word Press rate is welcomed, and the council hopes that the increase in traffic encouraged by the reduction will make continuation of the rate practicable after the war," the report states. “The authorities are considering reducing the high cost of telegraphing news from war zones outside the Empire. The Minister is also considering a proposal to give Empire Press traffic some priority in transmission over non-urgent Government traffic. “The Minister was given specific instances supporting complaints that the 8.8. C. enjoyed preferential treatment compared with the Press in the distribution of official news, also supporting the assertion that the 8.8. C. disregarded some release time embargoes in overseas bulletins, and received more indulgent and quicker censorship. The flighting services still have the habit of releasing news immediately before the 8.8. C. 6 and 9 p.m. bulletins, when it could be released carlic-r. The committee is satisfied that all 8.8. C. news and talks are censored.”