Politics

Some 45 per cent of New Zealand voters supported the Labour Party in the 1963 General Election. Only one of our 41 daily newspapers proclaims itself to be a Labour paper.

Observers, such as Dr. Austin Mitchell, support the view that the Grey River Argus is in fact the only daily in New Zealand that is not in sympathy with the National Party. But these papers maintain relatively constant or increasing circulations whichever way an election goes.

The 1935 election is the most outstanding case in point.

This helps show that reporters are all different. New Zealand Press Association reports are coloured by individual reporters' political, social, economic and educational biasses. There will be the reporter's selection bias, and further selection will come when the reports reach different newspaper offices.

Mr. Cleveland, of this university, estimates that some one million words are sent over the wires each day and of these only 60 per cent will be printed.

NZPA is a co-operative news agency which gathers and disseminates news to its members. It subscribes to major world news agencies and has a number of correspondents overseas as well. Membership is entirely voluntary and members control the form, policies, and activities of the association.

The Press Association does not prevent individual papers from subscribing to and commissioning special photographs and feature articles. As a result some 14 papers subscribe to the South Pacific News Agency. Others commission or buy special articles from individual commentators. A restriction is placed on privately commissioned cable and radio stories; these may be obtained only with the association's assent and must be made available to all members.