LETTERS TO THE EDITOR
STRAIGHT NEWS
Sna,—Mr. Herbert Worsley continues his defence of the B.B.C. by saying it "presents daily a very large posterior to be kicked when_we feel disgruntled." That very smart remark in no way applies to the original criticism of " Janus," nor to the article by Mr. Wilson Harris, nor, I may add, to my support of the point of view of these two gentlemen. Bigger principles than that are at stake. Personally, I derive endless hours of enjoyment from the programmes, and marvel at the attempt made to cater for every taste. But I have no intention of blindly defending the B.B.C. Indeed, my experience of life shows that candid criticism is always more acceptable from a friend Further, isn't this a war in defence of liberty and freedom? Then why must honest criticism be dubbed " posterior kicking "? Even the Prime Minister has had to intervene to prevent the B.B.C. from becoming a " dictatorship," and the common man still has, and I hope alwa3n will have, his right of criticism.
Now to the original source of this controversy. Mr. Worsley infers that the speech in question was a lying one, and asks us to treat Hitler and Mussolini " just as what they are—liars." Granted, but let the lies speak for themselves. If I judge rightly the temper of the average British man and woman today, they want to use their own intelli- gence, and not be treated as little children to be cajoled and have their views prepared for them. Prepared views, as in the comment on Mussolini's speech, cannot be " straight news."
The Rev. H. Martyn Sanders raises a fine point—the distinction between the spoken and the written word. On further examination, if we are to allow the difference, we must give up the pretence of
calling these broadcasts news bulletins. Mr. Sanders confirms this by saying "we are satisfied . . . that the B.B.C. . . . is speaking for
us." In that case, it is not a news bulletin at all, it is a propaganda bulletin, and should be called such. News can only be events which have happened—it can never be the opinion on events of any one man, or of any one broadcasting corporation. Do we like it when one of our " living voices " adopts the mental sneering at the bombasts of the Dictators? I, for one, do not. I feel it is a descent to the lowest methods of our enemies, and heaven knows, we must set. a better standard than that!
One more point. Recently, in the 9 p.m. news, we had a fatuous story of Hitler and Goering flying over Bremen. Almost in the next breath we had the colossal casualties on Clydeside and Merseyside.
Would relatives of the bereaved appreciate that bad humour? Was that a " living voice " doing legitimate " sneering "? If so, the B.B.C.
would be in better taste to leave that to the comedians, and fill its bulletins with news—plain facts—and try to keep on the right side of the thin line dividing pure news from pure propaganda. If that is
a hard task, all the more reason to attempt it! Easiness is no excuse for avoiding a principle, or we would not be fighting this war.—
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