Haley Cites BBC Non-Partisanship In Island Politics

Communists appear on British Broadcasting Company facilities to campaign for office and to take part in public forums due to BBC's non-partisan policy, reported Sir William Haley, editor of the London Times, last night.

In a lecture sponsored by the Nieman Fellows, the former director-general of the BBC stated that Communist appearances are frequent enough "not to be news." If the party puts up the number of candidates required of every party, it is entitled to an equivalent amount of time. Communist speakers also participate in broadcast discussions if their presence is "relevant," he added.

Britain is probably "a politically informed democracy" as a result of this BBC policy, the speaker contended. He cited that 44 per cent of the public listened to all 24 broadcasts of a political campaign series in 1945.

Non-partisan political coverage is also provided by all British newspapers, although in other aspects press standards "can range from the highest to the lowest," Sir William said.

Discussing other aspects of the British "public mind," he praised the British love of "dog fight" and compromise, felt that "we are much nearer to John Stuart Mill's idea of government by discussion than we realize," and said the press and broadcasting have helped to bring this about. Television could never become important as radio, since "ideas are not visible," Sir William added.

Television, however, as well as the press and radio, has an "invaluable effect on taste," he commented. Newspapers consider big art shows as important news, while the BBC has influenced British manners and taught listeners "how to pronounce words and names."