NEWSPAPERS AND THE WAR.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LVII, Issue 225, 2 March 1915, Page 3

NEWSPAPERS AND THE WAR.

To the Editor. Sir,—lt is surprising the number or people one meets- whose knowledge of the war and its progress is rather limited. I consider it must place them in a rather embarrassing position wdien questioned on the subject, or even if they get into an argument it is noticeable how quiet their attitude is. Their only expression of approval is generally. "Yes, that's quite right," or, "T suppose so." I have come to the conclusion that these gentry are pit-he- neutral tendencies, or t.hcy n"'"' ' ling their

newspapers. It : - "'' • ■ to trv and engender into their minds that the chean daily press is a popular educator. It may be asked, "What can the Press teach? What good enn they do?" Thev not only give a render an intelligent interest in the passing events of his own country, hut can supply him with news, national. Imperial, and foreign. A free press, in a free country like our own, supplements the educational machinery provided bv the Government for the benefit of the nation'. Tt supplements as nothing else could, the work done by the Education Act under which attendance at school up to a certain age has been made compulsory for the son or the daughter of even t'le poorest citizen. If there were no cheap literature such as newspapers, at a cost of one penny, or even less, the"- would be nothing for the masses to >■•- } on week-days. Without the help of the Press, we would soon forget, through sheer disuse, the elementary knowledge that we acou'red at school, and become almost as illiterate as if we had never attended one. The daily Press, therefore, is one of the great educators of the people. Hut at the same time newspapers can be put to a wrong use. There is nothing under the sun but has its evil side —its powers of mischief wdien a wrong use is made of it. The Press is no exception. It is an evil when those who are responsible for its management take bribes to support a bad cause, or to palliate public or private misdeeds. It' is an evil, when it lends its motives to attacking individuals from motives of personal malice, or from race-jealousy, when it gives out false or unsupported news as true to ensure a. large and ready sale, when it panders to a morbid taste bv publishing remilsivc details of cruelty or vice; when ; t stirs in bad blood between one class and another, between employers or employed, or between nations that might he fricndl'-: when it is used, as it sometimes is, without the knowledge of editors, for publishing fraudulent advertisements or laving traps to catch the unwarv. There are manav ways. then, in which the Press, if it is dishonestly or incautiously mnnaged, can be productive of mischief. Put the remedy for sivh mischief is to p lar«e extent, supplied by nowsianers themselves. Thev are a constant check inon one another, for they cannot get rid of competition, and competition provokes comparison. When the public has to de-ide between conflicting views or contradictory statements, the paper which has proved to be inferior to its rivals in accuracy of statement or in honesty of in'ention loses credit with its readers, and does injury to it«eif. In this wiv n henlthv public opinion is formed. Tn the odit'ns of newspapers, as in everything else, truth and honesty is the best policy. The Press, then, is the best safeguard against its own misuse.—T am. etc.. R. A. TTARTXETT. Mount Messenger, March 1, 1015.