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Salient: Victoria University of Wellington Students' Newspaper. Vol. 32, No. 12. 1969.

Press coverage slated

Press coverage slated

Organisers of the successful Teach-in on the Security Service are suspicious of the total lack of coverage accorded them by the local press.

They were also disappointed at the lack of co-operation they received from the National Party and consider it possible that the two are related.

The chairman of the organising committee, Mr Bill Logan, said he first wrote to he National Party two weeks before the teach-in to ask for a representative.

Though he was told on three different occasions, a speaker would be available, none eventuated.

"We were guaranteed a speaker on the Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday of last week, but on the Friday we we told "everyone was too busy' to come," Mr Logan said.

"Mr Bradbury, of the National Party Dominion HQ said he 'didn't think it would be very nice' to issue a press statement criticising the Party in this way."

Mr Logan said he issued a statement to the "Dominion" saying that some people may think the organisers did not want to give the National Party a chance to present their case.

"In fact we made every effort to get these speakers because it is most important that all aspects of the Service are discussed rationally and in public," he said.

"I made a similar statement to the "Evening Post" which did not appear.

I made a further statement to the "Sunday Times" and it did not appear."

"Perhaps that was not very newsworthy but the teach-in itself certainly produced some meat.

"The NZBC had a reporter there, and used some material, even quoting Alister Taylor, with whom they have had pretty strained relations.

"But then the NZBC's getting harder to get at.

"It's easier to suggest to a drinking cobber or a fellow rotarian that as a responsible newspaper manager, director or editor, it might not be 'nice' to point out certain things."

Though the "Dominion" sent a reporter they didn't print a word," Mr Logan said.