WE ARE "EAVESDROPPERS"

New Zealand Listener, Volume 8, Issue 186, 15 January 1943, Page 9

WE ARE "EAVESDROPPERS"

Visiting BBC Expert Tells Us About The News We Hear

to its listeners in Australia and New Zealand, N. C. Tritton, is now in this country making preliminary inquiries and preparations to establish what the BBC calis "listener research." . ambassador from the BBC "I am here", he told The Listener, "to find .out how far we are succeeding, and how far we are failing; to learn what more we can do-or what we can do better-rather than to tell you what has already been done." Mr, Tritton comes from Queensland, where he took arts, commerce, and accountancy degrees, and became a barrister at law. He was connected with adult education in Queensland and then was private secretary to the Prime Minister, Mr. Menzies. At present he is on loan from the Australian Government to the British Government, which appointed him Pacific Intelligence Officer for the BBC. In Nearly 50 Languages "The aim of the BBC is to provide from the heart of the Empire a news service to all parts of the world, and | accurately to convey a picture of British life and aspirations, not only during the war, but in the post-war period, too. In addition it acts as a link between soldiers fighting overseas and their home countries, and between all allied countries. The BBC now broadcasts in nearly 50 languages, all involving the use of expert staffs with an understanding of the language and habits of the audience addressed. 3 "In what is known as "The Empire Service’ there are four transmissions, the Pacific, the Eastern, the African and the North American service. It is in the Pacific service, beamed towards this part of the world between 5.45 and 9.45 p.m., New Zealand time, that I am specifically interested. "With the news, the BBC tries to provide a truthful factual account of the war; comment and opinion is eliminated as.far as possible except when it is necessary for a clearer understanding of the issues involved. "But in the presentation of news there can be some variation of emphasis. and method, within certain severe limitations. While the BBC recognises that certain countries must be more immediatély interested in events near at hand, in a world news service, events must be treated according to their world significance." "Eavesdropping Audience" Mr. Tritton explained that the "eavesdropping audience", as the BBC calls it, has to be taken into account when script writers are distributing emphasis on the news items. .An "eavesdropping audience" is one which listens to news directed towards some other part of the world.

"Some bulletins used in New Zealand are in fact usually parts of services primarily destined for other quarters. New Zealand would naturally have a more immediate interest in the Solomons or in the deeds of New Zealand troops abroad; India on the other hand might have a more immediate interest in events in Burma. Yet the Pacific bulletins are used in India, and the Eastern service is used in New Zealand. "The BBC must therefore take care that whatever emphasis it may lend to particular items, it does not destroy or impair the true picture of world importance. Only last year in its desire to give the Dominions a full account of the deeds of their troops, the BBC failed to give a complete picture of the activities of United Kingdom troops, with the result that not only the Dominions, but even neutral countries concluded incorrectly that the United Kingdom troops had not been pulling their weight. Nor was the enemy slow to seize on the point; he used it in an attempt to sow dissension among Empire countries. New Zealanders in BBC "One of the things I am to do ‘here, then, is to find whether the emphasis is going on the right spots. We want our audience to feel that.we are fully cognisant of their own dangers.

"Tt is already our policy to have the various services staffed by men and women who have first-hand knowledge of the requirements of the audiences addressed. At present there are several New -Zealanders working in the Pacific Service. The director is George Ivan Smith, on loan, from. the Australian Broadcasting Commission. Ormond Wilson, the former New Zealand M.P., is in the news talks department; Noni Wright, a New Zealander, is in charge of ‘Calling New Zealand’, and the names of Tahu Hole and the late Nesbit Sellars are familiar to this Dominion. I can hardly say enough about the help we have from Mr. W. J. Jordan, the Dominion High Commissioner in London, He is always ready with help and information." Criticism Wanted Mr. Tritton asks for criticisms and comments from New Zealand listeners to the BBC whether they listen by shortwave, direct, or only to re-broad-casts. Communications may be addressed to him inecare of the NBS, which will forward them if he has left when they arrive. He will return to Australia soon and will come back here in April.