THE PRESS AND POLITICIANS

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LI, Issue 224, 15 September 1908, Page 2

THE PRESS AND POLITICIANS

AN UNl'OKi (JiMATE TENDENCY. By Telograph.—Press Association. Wellington, Last Night.' At the annual general meeting of tho Institute of Journalists,■•held ut Parliament Buildings to-day, what was refvjred to as a general tendency among colonial politicians to discredit tilie Press in the eyes of the public, was raised by a remit from Wellington affirming tile undesirableness of leaving unnoticed the attacks made on journalists in their professional capacity. Reference was made to Australian efforts to restrict the liberty of press criticism ; to tlie allegations recently made in the House of Representatives that' reports were "doctored" to suit newspapers' political views; and to the proposal in tie Second Ballot Bill, preventing newspaper rejerencie to tlie candidates during the interval between tlie first and second elections. The meeting resolved that the Institute) affirms tlie unreasonableness of leaving unnoticed the attacks that are made upon journalists in their professional capacity and attacks upon the proper! liberty of tlw Press in tlie matter of political criticism. The meeting adapted a motion in favor of standardising the notices in regard to reportorial engagements. Mr. L. S. Fanning was elected general secretary, and further business was adjourned for a week'.