QLLULL7
OFFICE OF THE PRIME MINISTER
CANBERRA
6 & rT
Mr J. Thomson
Editor The Border Morning Mail Pty Ltd
PO Box 346
ALBURY NSW 2640
Dear Mr Thomson
Thank you for your letter of 18 September 1984
requesting an article from the Prime Minister for
inclusion in The Border Morning Mail's series of
articles for Newspaper Week.
I am pleased to enclose the text of an article from the
Prime Minister which I hope your readers will find of
interest.
Yours sincerely
J. V. Townsend
Senior Private Secretary
I am very pleased to have the opportunity to participate in
The Border Morning Mail's promotion of Newspaper Week. I
fully endorse the aim of Newspaper Week to increase
awareness of the local newspaper and its role in the
community. Australia is very fortunate to be ' one of the few countries
in the world which enjoys a truly free! press. Many of us
however do not appreciate the value of a free press having
always taken it for granted. Efforts such as Newspaper
Week perform a valuable function in raising the public'ss
awareness of the nature of the press and its importance to
our society. The local newspaper has always been an
important part of the free press in Australia.
Freedom of the press and the health of' a democracy are
intimately connected each reflecting t~ he wellbeing of the
other. Being part of a democratic society carries with it:
responsibilities as well rights, and the same is true of
freedom of the press. . The right of the press to report
events and comment on them as it sees fit is matched by the
responsibility to be fair and objective in its reporting.
I do not believe that a commitment to a free press implies
that either Government or media should be hesitant about
criticism when it is justified. An open society such as
ours is enriched by a healthy interaction between the
Government, the community and the media.
The press must serve the community from which it draws its
livelihood and is therefore responsible not only for
accurate, up-to-date coverage of events but also for
intelligent and constructive comment on matters of relevance
and importance to that community. One aspect of this, and
a particularly important one from my point of view as Prime
minister, is the reporting of Government actio * ns and
initiatives, and the reactions and attitudes of the
community to them.
The Government relies on the media to communicate with the
Australian community. Newspapers, and particularly local
newspapers, play a vital role in reducing the sense of
distance between Government and the community that can
exist at times.
The regional daily newspapers, such as the Border Morning
Mail, have achieved a quite remarkable penetration of the
communities that they serve, and this is invaluable to any
group trying to communicate effectively with those
communities. The quality of the service provided by thle
regional dailies is clearly shown by their very strong
performance over the last ten years. This has been
achieved despite the challenges being faced from new
technology and the competition from television and radio
news and current affairs programmes.
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That newspapers have continued to increase their sales
indicates clearly that people want more than just the facts
in their news coverage, they want constructive and critical
analysis which will heighten their understanding of current
events on the local, national and international scenes.
Newspapers provide, and are expected to provide, more than
just the news. They also entertain with feature articles
and amusing stories, and they inform with public
announcements and advertisements.
Newspapers have demonstrated that they will not only survive
technological change but will continue to prosper by
providing the sort of service that only a newspaper can
provide. I wish all those connected with Newspaper Week
well for the future and commend it's aims to all
Australians.