ToWards a Press Council
SIR, The correspmdence I have so far seen on this subject overlooks the fact that tne Oran plan for the proposed General Council of the
.. .. ,.,; „„c uou ut Inc rress, namely tne news- papers, and entiri,ly ignores the rest of the Press, which is numerically much larger and not less important. For example. reviews like the Spectator (unless regarded primarily as newspapers) and many other important and influential periodicals, which often carry far more weight in their own spheres than do most newspapers with their readers, would have no part in it, and, if I know anything about them, would not be disposed to recognise the authority of such a narrowly exclusive body. Nor would editors generally be replesented on it, but only those news- paper editors who arc members of the Guild, which is a proteg6 of the Newspaper Society, a body representing only the provincial and suburban newspaper Press. There is no provision for lay representation, as recom- mended by the Royal Commission. although the Press claims to be the voice of the public and the guardian of its interests. The omission would surely somewhat stultify the Council in dealing with the Govern- ment or other interests. You have rightly headed the topic "Towards a Press Council ": it has still a long way to go.—Yours faithfully, 9 Kew Gardens howl. Kew. Surrey. W. E. Siserr.
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