XN000022-1974-10-17 — Page 2

THURSDAY, OCTOBER 17, 1974

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GIS HEAD CALLS FOR BETTER WORKING CONDITIONS FOR NEWSMEN MEDIA URGED TO REVIEW +PRESS COUNCIL+ PROPOSAL

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THE DIRECTOR OF INFORMATION SERVICES, MR. DAVID FORD, TODAY CALLED FOR A BETTER DEAL FOR WORKING JOURNALISTS IN HONG KONG, MORE SOPHISTICATED TRAINING COURSES, AND URGED THE MEDIA TO CONSIDER SETTING UP A REPRESENTATIVE BODY WITH RESPONSIBILITY FOR IMPROVING STANDARDS OF JOURNALISM.

ADDRESSING A LUNCHEON MEETING OF THE ROTARY CLUB OF KOWLOON, MR. FORD SA10 HE REALISED THAT THERE WERE OBVIOUS DIFFICULTIES IN ESTABLISHING AN ORGANISATION WHICH WOULD EXERT INFLUENCE OVER THE VERY LARGE NUMBER OF MEDIA ORGANISATIONS HERE.

+BUT EVEN IF IT WERE NOT POSSIBLE TO ENCOMPASS THE WHOLE FIELD, I SEE GREAT ADVANTAGE IN THE REPRESENTATIVES OF THE MEDIA WHO VALUE THEIR REPUTATION, EVEN IF THE NUMBER TURNED OUT TO BE RELATIVELY SMALL, COMING TOGETHER TO FORM A COUNCIL OF SOME SORT.+

IF SUCH A START WERE MADE, HE HAD NO DOUBT THAT ITS INFLUENCE WOULD MAKE ITSELF FELT AND BENEFIT JOURNALISM STANDARDS.

MR. FORD STRESSED THAT ANY EFFORT TO IMPROVE THE STATUS OF JOURNALISTS IN HONG KONG MUST BE INITIATED AND SUSTAINED FROM THE MEDIA ITSELF, BUT ONCE SUCH MOVES WERE MADE REASONABLE SUPPORT COULD BE EXPECTED FROM THE COMMUNITY.

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HE NOTED THAT THE MEDIA HAD NOT YET BEEN ABLE TO REACH A DECISION ON PROPOSALS FOR A PRESS COUNCIL MADE BY LOCAL EDITORS OVER THE PAST TEN YEARS, AND SUGGESTED THAT PERHAPS IT WAS TIME TO REVIEW THE MATTER AGAIN

EMPHASIS ING THE NEED FOR TRAINING OF JOURNALISTS, MR. FORD SAID THE TIME HAD COME FOR MORE FORMAL TRAINING TO BE ORGANISED WITH CADET SCHEMES, IN-SERVICE TRAINING COURSES, OVERSEAS ATTACHMENTS AND EXCHANGES.

+IF WE CAN GENERATE ENOUGH INTEREST AND ENTHUSIASM LOCALLY TO DEVELOP OUR TRAINING SCHEMES, HONG KONG WITH ITS FINE FACILITIES WOULD BE A NATURAL CENTRE FOR THE ESTABLISHMENT OF A REGIONAL TRAINING CENTRE FOR ASIA,+ HE SAID.

MR. FORD COMMENDED THE START MADE IN THIS FIELD BY THE HONG KONG JOURNALISTS ASSOCIATION AND HOPED THAT THIS FIRST RATE INITIATIVE WOULD RECEIVE WHOLEHEARTED SUPPORT OF NEWSPAPER PRORIETORS.

HE POINTED OUT THAT HONG KONG HAD TWO VERY FINE INSTITUTIONS RUNNING FULL-TIME FOUR-YEAR COURSES FOR JOURNALISTS, AND SEVERAL OTHERS WHICH RAN SHORTER COURSES. THESE TOGETHER PRODUCED ABOUT 60 GRADUATES A YEAR, BUT ONLY HALF OF THEM TOOK UP JOBS IN JOURNALISM, AND A GOOD PROPORTION OF THESE MOVED TO OTHER JOBS OUTSIDE THE MEDIA WITHIN TWO YEARS.

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/BUT WHILE