THE PRESS AS AN INFLUENCE ON NEW ZEALAND LIFE AND POLITICS.

Otago Witness, Issue 2894, 1 September 1909, Page 83

THE PRESS AS AN INFLUENCE ON NEW ZEALAND LIFE AND POLITICS.

By. Shasta. j?h« Britisher who brought his "types and presses with him and set up his newspaper the day "after landing in Jdaoriland also setan example which has been assiduously followed ever' aince. New Zealaaders possess 220 newspapers, several monthly publications ; dealing - witli educational and "other subjects, and one magazine. Of these topers, 50 are printed" ctasty, 6fr more than©ttjca week, and. 64 are issued weekly". Thechief dailies -' generally eonfafn eight pages, more or less" freely decorated with adver-tisem-snts. There is a New Zealand Press Association, which provides telegraphic and cable news for the papers connected with it. We are thus enabled to keep well abreast of older countries in the matter of news. We pride ourselves on being able to hear the result- of the English Derby or an Australian " test match in a few minutes after it has - been decided. - Every editor lakes a special pride in hie ct.refully-wrii.ten lender. Matters political, social, and -national are discussed with discerning ability, and the broadnyndedness necessary to a fair estimate of any involved question of policy. The smaller papers follow the more import-, ant ones, at a respectful dista&ce, and those which do not enjoy the privileges of the Press Association make up by devoting thelarger part cf their space to chronicling local doings. When a, local farmer's horse wins first prize at the provincial show the fact i* duly noted, and should a local resident invest in a motor car, it takes a column or two in which to fitly record ihe evenrt. All branches of sport, the cable news of the world, and things social and* political., local and general find space in New .Zealand papers. The big weeklies cover an even widaa: field, for besides devoting the larger part of their space to what we may call general news, they have special features of their own. Serial stories by well-known English writers are published" by -arrangement with Home publishers. „ Colonial writers axe given space for their literary efforts, essays, poems, -and original stories are all alike welcomed. The Ladies' Page; with its household hints, its cookery column, its latest London fashions, and its chionicles of social functions, is not the least attractive department of si colonial weekly newspaper. Through iis agency; the Jback-bloek farmer's wife may keep well abren*t of tha times. The children, too, are not forgotten, but have tfieir own special page, and more than one aspiring colonial youth made his first bid for literary fam-i- in the children's corner of a popular weekly. While no self-respecting Maorilander would dream cf doing without his newspaper, very 'ittle support is accorded a magazine. Many have been started, only to fail, and the Red Funnel is the only one at present trying to gain -.he support of an indifferent public The New Zealand newspapers are deservedly honoured for the high standard they have attained. Out editors are thoughtful, earnest men, with a. keen sense of their duty towards their readers, consequently, we have no , such thin^ aa ''yellow journalism." To corns now to the influence exerted by the newspapers on life and politics, it follows That, since the press upholds a high standard of living, its influence will be all on the right side as far as everyday life is concerned, but when it comes to politics — well, opinions diffsr. If you are an pdniirer of our liberal Government buy a paper A'hich supports the Government's doings, if, however. >-ou are an Oppositionist, then get a paper pledgea to support that side ot the house; but if you are, like the writer, neither the one nor the other, then read both papers, and arrive _a* - the-- ;tru4ki somewhere bat weett--4be-. two extremes/"' A* pOStics supply ,no litile part of the news in this bright little land, where everyone is mere or less, of a politician, the influence 'of the press is something to be reckoned with ia the political world." Trf- fheir credit b« i' said, our editors are alive to their responsibilities, and while ' they <io -not indulge in jingoism ami heroics! neither ' do (Trey neglect .o take a nttional rather than a provincial view of any important Government measure. In an intelligent community, where every man and nearly every woman reads a news* paprr, much of the current conversation is basel upon the la*e.-' press news. Whether the talk L>- of Dreadnoughts, missing steamers or airships, it is ail largely inspired by press comments; whether we wax eloquent over ;he assisted emigrant or talk learnedly about the yellow peri!, we can't get "away from tne knowledge that the opinioiis we claim so freely as our own found their origin in 3ome well-written newspaper paragraph. Such is the difficulty 'of trying to be original in this bfi-papsred land! Don't we all know from, experience what it is to }>rjpouj<l some new *nd startling theory and then be told, coldly, "Oh. yes. I saw that in last night's paper." It is just such lack of appreciation that throws cold wa'.er en tbe imaginative scribe's enthusiasm. The hopelessness of trying to say anything, of presuming to think anything, that has noi already been said, or at least thought of, by our newspaper men ; the utter hopelessness of U crushes u= to the eaith. How often have we thought some brilliant illuminating thought, and, carefully clothing it in words, we have been humbled to the dust by the "tokl-you-so" kind of •person frigidly remarking : " I thought it was rather a good idea when I saw it in> the News yesterday." If he didn't see it yesterday, he is sure to see it to-morrow, and then you begin to wish yon had been born on a desert island, where never a newspaper was seen and where you might dare to be original. If you want to be learned, follow up your newspaper. If you wish to be considered an authority on farming, it doesn't matter whether you can tell th« difference between a plough and a harrow or not, so long as yon have read your news-

paper and can discourse learnedly about j silos and nitro-bacterin. In short, if you wish to distinguish yourself in any line, follow up your newspaper, but if you want to be original, tnen tail your original jokes to someone who does not subscribe to your newspaper. I've praised up our newspapers so much that I am entitled to a livtle grumble on my own account. In tha first place, then, why don't our editors print their advertisements upside down or something, so you need mot read them unless you liked. It's | perfectly horrid to begin reading "How Maxy Jane Dresses Well 'on Five Shillings a Week," only to find "because she buys Rava tea" at the bottom of it. Then, again, you get , interested in "How to be Pretty," and then find oat that you must ta-ke Dr Somobody-or-other's Soothing Syrup three times a day in cold water before you can gvju hope to be presentable Then, again, you want to spend an afternoon at Ihe seaside, and you are not sure whether (o wear yonr new spring bat and your prettiest frock or to take your umbrella and goloshes along, so you look up the weather forecast. "Wind, south !>y south-east; fine day; rain probable," says tbe sage person who is supposed to be sitting on the top of Mount Cook looking out for «torm». So you take jour spring hat, your coat, and umbrella and goloshes, and it- tusiis out what the evening newspapers ' call- the "hot- \ test' day of the season." .^Now, everybody | knows that by* night : what w really need i is a newspaper that^owi tell you for- sure- i in yesterday's paper what- kind ol weather we will be enjoying teemorrow. A paper of that" sort would be of some ' real use, ; 'especially to ladies- vratfc new ' hatai . -*■.. . Tbe»s. when' there it; *a* wedding- <ib.e reporter always says the bride looked charming (as if a bride could look anything else but charming), and all the time what we want to know is how the bridegroom looked. Ii would be really interesting to know whether he wore a pink or a blue tie, or whether 1 he lcoked nervous or charming. It is curious, but true, the most interesting thing is elwiays what somebody could have told you, hut didn't. Like a good editor. I've carefully weighed all the evidence both for and against the newspaper, and my decision is: A New Zealard newspaper is an excellent production, which could be improved.