Evening star., 1948-03-28
Propaganda Pitfalls
beset News Writer'S,
Kent Cooper Warns
By the Associated Press


times demanded extreme care in
news gathering, especially in areas
beset by propaganda booby-traps."
In his annual report to members
of the Associated Press, distributed
in advance of the annual meeting
on April 10, Mr.. Cooper said AP
teamwork during the last year rose
to its best under pressure or, in
critical news situations"
THE news report" he said, was
intelligently assembled, fairly and
factually reported and interpreted
in a world ripped by political and
economic upheaval and divided by
theological strife at times as bloody
as it was bitterly emotional.
"a chronical of the years major
news events shows outstanding
achievements, as well as setbacks
and disappointments. But by any
standard, it was year marked by
demonstrations of competitive SUI
periority-with vigilance as the
watchWord.
Extreme Care Necessary.
There was the keenest recogni-
ton that these were times when
there could be no relaxation of
extreme care in news gathering,
especially in areas beset by propa-
ganda BOBBY traps; pressure forces
that were diligently beating the
drums on economic and political
fronts; the handouts, the special
junkets and the news that ema-
mated from sources which could
not be directly quoted or identi-
fed by name"
Mr.. Cooper said the year in Wash
ington was one of high voltage
politics, with the home fronts eco
nomic issues and the problems of
foreign aid, crystallized in the Mar
shall Plan, as focal news subjects. +"
Distribution of AP services in
1947-eve of the Tooth anniversary
of the cooperative newsgathering
Observation-Disclosures a record of
1891 newspaper and radio members
and subscribers. Newspapers and
radio stations were added in six
countries, making total of 81 coun-
tries outside the United States now
served by the AP. In this country
there are 2,635 participants.
Praises Cooperation.
Mr.. Cooper said outstanding ex-
amples of staff and member Coop
GRAFTON were reflected lin the COW
erage of such spectacular disasters
as the Texas City ship explosion in
April, the Florida and Gulf hurri-
cane which swept across Southern
States in September, and the series
of forest fires in the Northeast
which eliminated in the Bar Har-
Dor catastrophe in October"
Mrs. Helen Monsen, publisher of
the Juneau (Alaska) Empire, was
cited as one who gave IAN example
OF courage and cooperation that
was in the highest tradition of the
profession
Mrs. Monsen's husband was the
pilot OF Pan-American plane
which was missing for days and
then found wrecked off the Alaska
coast, with the loss of all 18 aboard"
Mr.. Cooper said. But she thought
first of the Associated Press when
the news came and she insisted
throughout on directing the story's
coyerage."
News resources of the AP were
strengthened by the election of radio
stations to associate membership,
Mr.. Cooper said, He explained that
the AP had gained access to news
in localities where it had not been
represented by members.
Cost Sharing Appeals.
Station after station grasped the
of mutual and cooper
ative news effort he said. "Of
more than average appeal to them
was the principle of proportionate
sharing of costs on an equitable
basis, as against the older practice
OF buying news across the counter
at rates arbitrarily set by COM
agencies.
"Of equal appeal in many in
stances was the principle and op-
Of exchanging news with
fellow members, and the corollary
that the dissiminators of
news sould share mutual response
olllty and proprietary interest In
that news"
Mr.. Cooper said the APPS CON
tlnuing studies" of news and picture
coverage, as well as those conducted
with the collaboration of the AS
'ociated Press Managing Editors
Association, had been stimulating.
THE APME reports have served,
among other things" Mr.. Cooper
said, ito accelerate activity in be-
half of better writing, embracing
the expert technioIes of 'readahiI- |