Press Demands Reason For Ban On Reporters

Chronicle (Levin), 1 November 1948, Page 7

Press Demands Reason For Ban On Reporters

; ■ . WELLINGTON, Oct. 31. "Whether or not with the knowledge of the Acting Prinie Minister, Mr. Nash, it is blatantly obvious that there have been official attempts to conceal facts from the press representatives covering the air disaster at Mt. Ruapehu," said the presidpnt of the New Zeajand Journalists' Association, Mr. J. C. McKinnon, in a stateinent today. "Wg aecept the Minister 's assurances that no instiuetion was issued by him -or l;y senior officers of the Poiice and Air Departments to withhold legitiniate inforniation from the pressmen 011 the spot. It is clear, however, that such iilstructions have been given by someone in authority unless those ' immediately coneerned in the attempts to gag and obstruct the press, assumed this authority on their cwn initiative. If this was the case, it surely chlls for stern disciplinary actiou. "Taking'the Minister 's protestatioci at its t'ace value, it beeomes obvious that various headquarters in Wellington have had 'the buek passed ' to them by those who recognised at Ohakune that tliey themselves had 110 such authority Whatever the rights and wrongs of the position, the working journalists, as tlie direet representatives of the pubiic at the seene of the reseue operations, have been made the scapegoats. ' ' This is not the first time that the release of news has been withheld from the pubiic through the press fo. 110 better appareut reason than to pan der to personal popularity by apprising the Minister first.

" It is curious . that, until the dis povery of the wreclcage, the authoritiee were anxious to have the utmost co operation .from Ihe press and journalists but from that monient the iron eurtain descended rapidly, operated not by the autliorities at headquarters, aceording to Mr. Nash, but by sorie underlings at the scene of aetivities. "This is familiar teehnique to reporters covering important crimes. It is obvious that some persons at Ohakune have let the Minister and their own headquarters down badly and are .due for a strong reprimand. Oertainly the working journalists do not intend to tolerate such situations without informing the pubiic of wliat goes 011. This particular set of circumstances • will be taken up by the New Zealand J ournalists ' Association. ' '