CONTROL OF WAR NEWS.

Wairarapa Times-Age, 14 September 1939, Page 6

CONTROL OF WAR NEWS.

(IN the assumption that an open and Prank disclosure 01. essential facts is intended, an announcement cabled yesterday that a stalcmeul on developments in the war situation is to be made by the British Prime Minister (Mr ('hamberlain) at least once a week, may he welcomed unreservedly. I'here is rather obvious room also, however, for the cstablishnieut oi higher standards in the transmission of war news from day to day. In the reporting- of war events thus far, good grounds may be perceived for the protest that has been made by the British National Union of -Journalists against .what it describes as “the failure of the Ministry of Information to provide the public with adequate news about the conduct of the war. .Many New Zealanders no doubt will sympathise wholeheartedly with 11m declaration of the union that it is in tin* national interest that the Ministry should be reorganised promptly to make it an effective instrument for keeping Britain and neutrals informed. Nowhere will it he agreed more readily than in this cminlry that news of value to the enemy must lie withheld, Ind there is a legitimate desire, that the news that is released should be as full accurate and informative as that riding co'nsideration will permit. Al the same time, with control in operation, it may fairly be asked that restrictions should bo imposed on the flow of matter that only purports io be news and amounts in fact to ill-supported or purely imaginative speculation. Too much of the European war news thus far cabled to this country has come from American correspondents. Some of this matter is of value, but a good deal of it serves only .to create an atmosphere of confusion. So far as the Empire is concerned. it is the business primarily of the British Ministry of Information to see to it that adequate and dependable news of war events and developments is made available. The British National ITiimi of donrim lists allege ;. mi “ unnecessary and arbitrary suppression of news which is of no military value to the enemy, bid the suppression ol which leads to rumours lending to cause alarm.’’ There is much to suggest that the protest made by the union is necessary ami well warranted and that more explicit and authoritative in forma I ion might bo given to the public without prejudicing in any way the military interests of the gillies.