XN000022-1983-03-18 — Page 5

FRIDAY, MARCH 18, 1983

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HK PRESS PLAYING IMPORTANT ROLE

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THE PRESS IN HONG KONG HAVE A ROLE TO PLAY THAT IS PROBABLY MORE IMPORTANT THAN THAT OF THEIR COUNTERPARTS ANYWHERE IN THE WORLD, THE DIRECTOR OF INFORMATION SERVICES, MR PETER TSAO, SAID TODAY (FRIDAY).

+ IT IS NOT A CLICHE, HE STRESSED. HOWEVER MUCH YOU MAY STILL FIND AN APPARENT CONFLICT BETWEEN OUR STATED OPINION AND THE RESPONSE OF SOME INDIVIDUAL OFFICERS, WE IN THE ADMINISTRATION ARE DEPENDENT UPON THE FREE AND EFFICIENT WORKINGS OF A PERCEPTIVE, WELL INFORMED AND OUTSPOKEN PRESS.+

HE WAS SPEAKING AT THE OPENING OF THE SOUTH CHINA MORNING POST NEWS PICTURES EXHIBITION - HIS FIRST PUBLIC FUNCTION AS DIRECTOR OF INFORMATION SERVICES.

+WE NEED THE MIRROR THEY PROVIDE. WE ASK ONLY THAT THE MIRROR IS TRUTHFUL, THAT THE GLASS IS NOT DISTORTED, THAT THE OPINION REFLECTED IS TRANSMITTED WITH CLARITY AND PRECISION,+ HE SAID.

IF WE DIDN'T THERE BUT WE ALSO LOOK FOR

+WE EXPECT THE MIRROR TO BE CRITICAL. WOULD BE NO POINT IN CONSULTING IT. OBJECTIVITY.

+WE MAY NOT LIKE WHAT WE SEE. WE MAY NOT EVEN AGREE WITH

THE POINT IS THAT WE DO SEE IT IT.

BUT THAT IS NOT THE POINT. THAT WE TAKE THE CRITICAL COMMENT INTO ACCOUNT AND THAT IT SERVES TO CONDITION OUR RESPONSE,+ MR TSAO ADDED.

HE NOTED THAT HIS NEW APPOINTMENT HAD BEEN DESCRIBED BY THE MEDIA AS A MOVE TO CLEAR THE RUST FROM THE GOVERNMENT'S CHANNELS OF COMMUNICATION.

+WHILE I WOULD NOT PRESUME TO ADVISE HOW THE PRESS CORPS

THIS WOULD BE TEACHING GRANDMOTHER IN HONG KONG SHOULD BEHAVE TO SUCK EGGS MAY I NEVERTHELESS SUGGEST THAT IT WOULD DO NO HARM FOR YOU, LADIES AND GENTLEMEN OF THE PRESS, EQUALLY TO APPLY A LITTLE EFFORT TO IMPROVE THE BRILLIANCE AND ACCURACY OF THE MIRRORT+ MR TSAO SAID.

HE SAID PHOTO JOURNALISM HAD BECOME A +WELL-ESTABLISHED AND INFLUENTIAL MEANS OF COMMUNICATION IN OUR ACTIVE AND WIDELY- READ INFORMATION MEDIA WHERE THE ABUNDANCE OF THE WRITTEN WORD OFTEN DRIVES THE READER'S WEARY EYE TO MORE GRAPHIC AND IMMEDIATE FORMS OF EXPRESSION.+

+I HAVE TO SCAN A LOT OF NEWSPRINT IN THE COURSE OF A DAY'S WORK AND I MUST SAY I FIND MY EYE NOT ONLY DRAWN, BUT FREQUENTLY HELD, BY SOME PARTICULARLY TELLING PHOTOGRAPH.

/+OFTEN SUCH