THE BRITISH PRESS

Dominion, Volume 21, Issue 120, 18 February 1928, Page 9

THE BRITISH PRESS

THE “TRUSTIFICATION” TENDENCY “SPECTATOR” ALARMED BY TELEGRAPH.—PRESS ASSOCIATION. Copyright. (Rec. February 17, 7.20 p.m.) London, February 16. The “Spectator,” in an editorial headed “The Independence of the British Press,” alludes to the announcement of the creation of <j chain of Rothermere provincial evening newspapers, and says: “Trustification of the British Press is one of the serious problems democracy has to face. As journalism has to be conducted on commercial lines, it is difficult to see how the tendency to combination is to be avoided, but we confess to a feeling something akin to dismay when we compare the ownership of the Press to-dav with thirty years ago. The British Press is now largely owned by three trusts. Syndicated news distributed eit masse is never quite the same as the honest opinions of a working proprietor, editor, or independent editor, who earnestly seeks to be society’s watchdog. In a few years we may witness the formation of one great newspaper trust. Surely a special obligation rests upon the remaining independent journals to safeguard their independence.” The article pays graceful tribute to the Burnham family’s tradition of dignified, enterprising, independent journalism.