THE JOURNALISTIC PARTY.

Taranaki Daily News, 12 June 1918, Page 4

THE JOURNALISTIC PARTY.

The selection of the Press delegation to Great Britain was referred to the executive of the Newspaper Proprietors' Association by the Government wliich subsequently approved of the selection and added another name of its own accord. Neither the executive of the N.P.A nor the Government can be congratulated On its work. The Home Government in -its invitation particularly asked that the provincial press of the Dominion should be represented in the delegation, the idea being, of course, that it should be representative of journalism of the whole Dominion, and not of the big cities alone. What happened? The selfish interest of the big newspapers were put right in front, and some selected who are not engaged in the journalistic side of newspaiper work at all. The country press, which, in the aggregate, is as important in New Zealand as the metiopolitan pa/pers, were given one position, as against the others' five. Ttiart; is the kind of justice dispensed by the big newspaper interests, and endorsed by the Government. The selection is scandalous, and does not, it may be certain, accord with the views of the Home authorities, who particularly desired a delegation representing «U W-foia

New Zealand journalism. Witli some of the journalists selected no fault can be found, for they are well able to represent the Dominion and hold their own in any company; but what we particularly wish to lodge a .protest against is the virtual ignoring of the provincial newspaper interests and the selfish logrolling of the metropolitan newspapers in a matter tiiat should have been determined in the spirit of the invitation and on the merits of the case The complaisant attitude assumed by the Government is not the least discreditable feature of a truly sorry business.