Focus—

Editor resigns

The Editor of Focus has resigned.

In a press statement issued towards the end of last month, the NZUSA President, Paul Grocott, said he had received Barrie Saunders' resignation.

In the statement, Mr Grocott said that Mr Saunders had resigned "following pressure from the Director-General of the NZBC, Mr Gilbert Stringer." The NZBC had given two effective alternatives—to resign from the Editorship of Focus or to resign from the NZBC. Mr Saunders had no alternative, Mr Grocott said, but to resign as Focus Editor.

Mr Grocott said that NZUSA "deplores the attitude which the Director-General has taken in this matter. The suggestion that any conflict of interest exists between NZBC duties and the Editorship of Focus is quite incomprehensible. Does Mr Saunders' change of status make him any more or less capable of objectively assessing public issues? We feel that the NZBC itself, by placing unnecessary restrictions upon the extracurricular activities of its employees is imposing a narrow outlook on its staff which does little to encourage an unbiased presentation of current affairs."

Mr Grocott said that he had had an interview with Mr Stringer in which "one by one, my arguments were listened to and commented on. There was a conflict of interest as far as the NZBC was concerned. As far as a suggestion that identification be removed from the editorial went, this was not satisfactory to the NZBC. It was quite clear, the Director-General said, that the Broadcasting Corporation must be seen to be impartial."

Mr Grocott stressed that he hadn't been convinced by what the Director-General had said. However, "neither was the Director-General convinced by what I had to say. Mr Stringer simply said that NZBC employees were informed of the terms of their employment upon appointment and if they could not accept these terms they could not work for the NZBC." Mr Grocott said that Mr Stringer has been anxious to make it clear that the Corporation wanted to be cooperative with the university community. Mr Stringer's last words to him, Mr Grocott said, were "and tell all your friends that the NZBC wants to be friends with the universities."

Considerable interest has been expressed in the Editorship of Focus, following the resignation of Barrie Saunders (see other story), and in the election of members of the Focus Administration Board.

NZUSA President Paul Grocott said last week that he had received four confirmed applications for the position of Editor of Focus and several enquiries about the position.

Confirmed applications had been received from Don Hill, the current Technical Editor of Focus; Bill Gruar, the 1968 Canta Editor; Jim Hopkins, a member of the Canta staff for three years and Chief Reporter in 1969; and Charles Draper, 1969 Education Vice-President and former Critic Editor.

Focus Administration Board

There are five candidacies for the two vacant positions on the Focus Administration Board. The positions are those of ordinary member and Chairman.

Simon Arnold was the only applicant for the Chairmanship of the Board by the middle of last week, although Hugh Rennie, last year's Focus Editor, had, to quote Paul Grocott, "indicated an interest in the Chairmanship." Mr Rennie is a present member of the Board and if he is elected to the Chairmanship there will be two vacancies amongst the ordinary members.

Candidates for positions on the Board as ordinary members include Mr Arnold, Bill Logan, Lindsay Wright, NZUSA's Research Officer and a past member of the Board, and David Caygill, Publications Officer at Canterbury University.

Paul Grocott said that he felt that at least one of the appointees should be a current student and said he was pleased that all four applicants for the position of ordinary member of the Board were in fact full-time and enrolled students. He said that the Board has informally agreed to co-opt Miss Pauline Swain onto the Board as Secretary and this will be confirmed at the Board's next meeting. As a co-opted member, Miss Swain will have full voting rights. Her appointment, along with that of any other co-opted member, must be confirmed by an NZUSA Executive meeting.

Mr Grocott said that the, Administration Board will also consider the question of further co-options at its next meeting. If such co-options are made, they will' also be confirmed at an Executive meeting. Provision exists in the constitution of the Board for co-option of up to three members.