Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1946-06-07

| ASSoCfoIeG FTeSS r
NEW YORK, June THE
are so different in Russia and i
tremely difficult to see how {
reached on this question within
The two countries are page
what is news, let alone how to pr
Many defenders of the Ameri,
can press call it, along with the
British press, the freest in the
world. Many of these same per-
sons will argue that the press is
not free at all in the Soviet
union.
How Soviet People Argue.
People in the Soviet Union gen.
orally argue that the United States
and the British press work against
the interests of the American and
British people and often against
the best interests of the people OF
i the world.
Both countries, of course, have a
wholly different definition of a free
press.
Your press a Russian said to
me not long ago, always seems as
If it's trying to entertain, amuse
or shock its readers, not to instruct
inform and guide them the right
way"
1 asked if he were referring to
editorials or news columns.
News columns" he said with
emphasis.
Guide the readers mind the
right way in a news column"
asked. I'VE certainly don't try to
do this. We simply try to present
the facts and let the reader find
his way-that is if he's looking for
the way"
I remember an occasion during
the war when an American cor
respondent in Moscow criticized a
Russian journalist for not being OBJ
| jective about the war and Germany
"Objective?" sneered the Russian
"a journalist who is objective in
time of war is a traitor to his coun-
try"
Some of Great Differences.
Here are some of the great diff
ferences between Russian and Amer
lean newspapers, aside from the
obvious ones of public ownership
and direction:
Tho ppcciope 1o,,t bolio,,o II, ,,,b
fishing news about events before
they happen. The fact that the
Big Three may have agreed to hold
a meeting is not news until there
Is an official announcement. In the
United States a story of such a
meeting ahead Of time is a scoop
for the newsman who wrote it and
of interest to the newspaper reader
The Russians don't believe crime
is news except report Of the triai
and penalty as means of teaching
that crime doesn't pay.
In Russia train wreck, a build
ing burning, a ship sinking is moi
news-except when it happens or
a big scale abroad.
The private lives of prominent
personalities are not news and the
Russians can't understand why they
should be-
The Russians cannot understand
the explanation that a papers &C.
ceptance of an advertisement does
not give the advertiser a voice ir
the paper.
| Clashes of personalities at inter.
national meetings are not news tc
Russians.
The Russian writer writes his
story on the assumption that it is
going to be read from beginning
to end and it generally is. He
thinks it's idiotic to put all the
news in the first paragraph. Fol
one thing, he reasons, it encourages
people to read no further.
Seldom Question Leaders.
The Russian newspaperman sell
dom If ever questions the decisions
or policies of his country's leaders
He believes they are better equipped
than he is to handle such matters
He may raise the ink on his paper
with castigation of some farm
foreman who is lazy, or some fac
tory director who is behind in his
work, or is not providing the kind
of facilities and conditions his work.
ers need and want, but he wont
criticize or complain about the sys.
tenn under which the foreman or di.
rector works.
To a Russian what is known a.
society news, or personal news, is 81
amusing as presented by American
newspapers that I've frequently seer
Russians laughing with side-achins
enthusiasm at the account of {
wedding.
The Russians have a low opinion
of most American newspapers, theil
publishers, editors and writer's. They
class some of the most severe enc.
mics OF the U. S. S. r. in this group
The American newsman in Russis
that is, in the mass-is no
thought of too highly by tn,
Russians.
A rather high Soviet official ono,
said to member of the Stat.
Department who had brought him {
particular problem concerning 6
representative of the American
press in Moscow:
/ MY friend, you and I are to-
busy to waste time on neurotics."
An American newsman's Job is {
difficult and often unpleasant ont
in Russia. At the same time III,
job of handling these newsmen il
Just as hard and unpleasant to tn,
Russians.
The Russians 90 nave standard,
of hospitality, of course, and a news.
man in the Soviet Union is not onl,
a newsman but a guest. He get.
the best the Russians have to offel
in many material ways. like food
clothes and living conditions. On
the other hand, he doesn't always
get what he wants in the way o,
news.
The handling of Russian news ir
Russia is, the Russians believe yer,
emphatically, purely Russian
matter.