Salient: An Organ of Student Opinion at Victoria College, Wellington, N.Z. Vol. 12, No. 2, March 16th, 1949.

[Introduction]

For the second year in succession Salient has made its debut looking—in places—like pieces from the People's Voice. Cries of "Reds under the bed" may be justified by Salient's regular imprudences and bad journalism. It is not wrong to write about Russians, Tito, W.F.D.Y. or anything else even remotely suggestive of Communism but the emphasis is often misleading. If Salient believes in honesty rather than pleasing readers, it should not wonder at cries of Woe! Woe!

Good journalism is sometimes Salient's God. Every now and then, the mistakes and prejudices of other newspapers are paraded smugly in Salient's columns. There are words about our capitalist press. Tory journalism and other catch cries. Yet Salient, the critic, commits the same crime more blatantly and stupidly than any of those newspapers it loves to pillory. It is not that articles are refused or censored, but material should he printed that does not give the impression that this university has one major interest: Socialist ideas.

Now, before I call down the Edltur's wrath, let me make It clear that in the first issue, much of the material is harmless and good Journalism, but the sum of the contents is enough to give the idea that Sallint is a Red rag.

The dissatisfaction arises mainly because Salient's peculiar politics dictate its journalism. Salient thereby loses its effectiveness as an organ of student opinion—unless it be of a small number of students.