BY ELECTING TO JOIN the News Chronicle Robin Day deprived
himself of some of the praise he deserves for his work as a newscaster : rival popular papers are not inclined, in such circum- stances, to be lavish in their encomiums. Nobody, I suppose, has done more than Day to create the persona of Independent Television News; to show that it is possible to be forthright without being prejudiced, fair without being mealy-mouthed. When ITN first began, Christopher Chataway made the more immediate impact; but it was Day who developed and perfected the technique of newscasting in a way that made the BBC-c television newsreaders by contrast dull and not infrequently embarrassing to watch. His adop- tion by the Hereford Liberals as their candidate would obviously make no difference to Day's newscasting; as the writer of a well-reasoned article in the Sunday Times suggests, it is mildly absurd to fuss about politicians interviewing on television when a director of the Bank of England is allowed to continue with his outside interests on the assumption that he will not use his special knowledge for his private profit. Still, in the present state of development of television it may' be as well to hold to the principle of political non- commitment. There are very few principles left to hold.
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