"Wanted—An Editor" Broadcast News and Common Sense

Radio Record, 29 April 1938, Page 6

"Wanted—An Editor" Broadcast News and Common Sense

M. POWER takes the broadeasting ser- ° vices of New Zeeland to task for not applying the fundamental principles of newsediting to news sessions.

ee ADIO in New Zeaand to-day is rapidly increasing its scope as a means of disseminating ‘néws, for vadio coverage of imporB 5 A) omen wN

tant events has developed, and is continuing to develop. But there are points in this rapid expansion of news service which seem, for the moment, to have escaped the controllers of broadcasting in New Zealand... There is the paramount issue of accuracy, and there is the matter of giving the public what it ee ington of the Empress of Britain, Station 2ZB secured a lively and informative talk from a passenger described as Sir Montagu Norman. Later, a correction to Sir Montague Burton was made. Sir Montagu Norman, as Governor of the Bank of England for the last nineteen years, ranks as one of the most important, if self-effacing, men in the British Empire. It is not unlikely that the announcement of his intended visit to the country would have stimulated acres of publicity. At this stage of the political year, his words of wisdom on financial affairs might have had a profound effect on political issues. Sir Montague Burton, on the other hand, is comparatively unknown in New Zealand; and, except that his talk on European affairs from the station was capitally done, his visit was of no great importance. Then, a couple of weeks previously, during a

Sunday programme, the same station announced the death of Mr. Eric Riddiford, president of the Wellington Racing Club, on information supposedly

supplied by an official of the club. As the good old cliche has it, the affair was grossly exaggerated. In the first instance, the station had no com back, for it was a fault plainly committed. But i: the second, the announcer justifiably passed the buck on to the informer. For all that, a news service demands that even the most innocuous sort of statement should be thoroughly checked before publication. A ship’s passenger list would easily have prevented the Norman-Burton error; and a couple of telephone rings would have prevented the Riddiford mystery. . Now, here’s the rub-in another way the NBS is almost as bad an offender! ‘The finest instance I can remember in recent weeks concerned the rat!way crash outside Wanganui. By chance, I happened to be holidaying in the Marlborough Sounds at the time, and radio was practically the only contact with this world of wars and woe. At seven o'clock that night, therefore, a small group of us gathered eagerly around the set to hear full details. I think the broadcast description of the accident lasted twenty minutes. From 2YA the announcer suavely surveyed the situation, soothing our palpitations with a description of the scene, the comments of the Minister for Railways, the comments of the General Manager of Railways, the announcement that a commission of inquiry would be set up immediately, details (Continued on page 38.)

(Continued from page 6.) ‘of how a crane had been sent from Wellington as soon as possible, and }j So on. On and on, in fact, And not even a casual mention of the names of the killed or injured! A reporter who omitted that aspect of the affair would have been sacked by the "Waikikimoukau Times"! It may be argued that’ there is between radio and newspaper services so much difference that complaint of one on observations of the other is pointless. But, in the matter of news, there is no difference. Both exist to give to a perpetually interested public completely accurate statements of fact, insofar as they are possible. So, too, perhaps the appointment of officials either of newspaper experience or versed in the requirements to act as sub-editors of news at various stations would prevent the publication of inaccurate and uninteresting news, ) (