The Wanganui Chronicle FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 27, 1935. FREEDOM OF AIR AND PRESS

Wanganui Chronicle, Volume 79, Issue 227, 27 September 1935, Page 6

The Wanganui Chronicle FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 27, 1935. FREEDOM OF AIR AND PRESS

time was devoted by Labour members iu the House of Kepresentatives on Wednesday night to charges ot Vnfair bias ami misrepresentation against the Press, and criticism of the Government's policy in regard to broadcasting ami the B stations. The criticism was unusually extravagant and unreasoning, giving no specific complaints to lie investigated, but it was interesting in that it enabled a better realisation ol' Labour's plans in relation Io two important public service.’. Labour members were particularly concerned about the freedom of the air, and referred to the B stations being crushed; but the member for Christchurch rather let the eat out 01. the bag when he said that the Labour Party candidates were the only people not allowed to broadcast. Apparently it was not the fate of the B stations that was worrying members so much as the extent to which these stations offered an opportunity for use for their own political ends. Of the looseness ol Mr. Armstrong’s allegation that, one party was using the air for political purposes and not allowing equal opportunity lor the other, little need be said beyond pointing out that no arrangement has yet been made for discussing polities over the air. no matter of what shade, and this position was accepted by the Labour member for Napier, Mr. Barnard, when he asked if the Minister was genuine in desiring to reach some arrangement. AV hat listeners might expect if some such scheme is put into operation, may best be left to the imagination. Suffice it to say that there would bo little freedom left in the element concerned if the freedom of the air were made absolute, as advocated by Mr. Savage. Concerning the charges of bias against the Press, loosely and sweeping!/ made from the Labour benches, it apparently is not realised that part of the service given by the newspaper’ is to present its own opinion, and to some extent the opinion of its readers. Because those opinions are not always blindly in iavour of the Labour view, they are stamped as “biased.” The newspaper is the guardian of popular liberties, and what, is known as the “freedom of the Press” has been won only after a long struggle. Events in Europe, particularly the ease of the German and Italian Press, show that the battle in this respect must be fought again. Does any self-respecting politician lit' politicians are self-respecting) desire the plaudits of a jellyfish Press’ In the New Zealand Press, which Mr. Savage and his colleagues have attacked, space is allotted strictly according to the rules that guide the free British Press the world over —news value, public interest and fairness. Having in mind what the Labour members have to say about the Press of New Zealand, one would expect a newspaper having Labour opinions to be a paragon of fair-minded ami unprejudiced virtue in its presentation of events, reserving its political opinions for its editorial column, but turning to a journal such as the New Zealand 'Worker for enlightenment, one finds a party bias from the first page to the last. Every page is a propaganda sheet, and is tinged with a deeper hue than Mt. Armstrong indicated when he likened the New Zealand Press 1o the “yellow” Press of America. The whole Labour attack, couched in extravagant terms, and made with gross unfairness, was merely a thinly-veiled attempt to win public sympathy and open a way up for more party propaganda.