Television

Further aggravating the situation is the drain of Press journalists to the NZBC News Service and now to the Sunday Press. This is adversely affecting the labour problem, but the advent of television has brought another more important problem. That is the presentation of news.

Television can present news visually. The newspapers must present the background articles and give the fuller details which television cannot do. However, television has not caused a drop in the total daily newspapers' circulation which is now estimated to be over 1,034,000.

Change will come. It is impossible to satisfy everyone as someone is sure to complain that a newspaper is being too partial to one faction or, conversely, too impartial. We have only a mediocre Press today. Unless changes take place today's standard will be even more unacceptable a few years hence. The Press must have better educated journalists, must improve its communications network and must provide more background articles.

In the light of the difficulties mentioned it is apparent that this will be no easy task. The Press must be more critical of itself, of the sources of news and of the information it prints. Then we may be able to praise it as a "faithful and vigilant Press."