The Gisborne Standard AND COOK COUNTY GAZETTE Published every Tuesday, Thursday, Saturday Morning. Thursday, October 31, 1889.

Gisborne Standard and Cook County Gazette, Volume III, Issue 371, 31 October 1889, Page 2

The Gisborne Standard AND COOK COUNTY GAZETTE Published every Tuesday, Thursday, Saturday Morning.

Thursday, October 31, 1889.

Be just and tear not; Let all the ends thou aim’st at be thy country’s. Thy God's, and truth's.

THE PRESS AND THE PUBLIC. IT is a significant commentary on the high place that the newspaper Press occupies in the minds of the public of New Zealand that it has now become a matter of custom in the event of a newspaper losing a libel action, for a section of the public to immediately offer to subscribe towards the expenses of that action. This happened in the case of the N.Z. Herald, the Nelson Mail, and the Waipawa Mail, and is now said to have occuired in the libel action against the Taranaki Herald. We are glad for the honor of the . Press that these offers are invariably refused, and that the mistaken sympathy of the public is not taken advantage of. Whatever may be the position of a newspaper it has always a certain section of admirers who, were the principle of contribution established, would be willing to share the costs of any libel action. The Press has no doubt high duties to perform and is severely hampered by unfair libel laws, but we are satisfied that one of the worst things that could happen to the public at large would be this making a newspaper virtually irresponsible for its acts. There are, we know, a certain class of prints which are used for the ventilating of personal feeling. There are likewise other papers—such as so-called society journals—which thrive on their assaults on the characters of people. While we have no doubt that the higher class of newspapers would honorably fulfil their trust to the public, we at the same time feel that those papers would be the last to encourage this new method of over-riding even harsh libel laws. The conducting of a newspaper is a great responsibility, and one which requires constant care and attention on the part of those who have its supervision. The consequences of a mistake are, or should be, well known, and it is only right that some one should suffer for a mistake which may have caused some other person still more suffering. If, however, the newspaper is allowed to escape ths penalty, by the mistaken sympathy of its supporters, the sooner that the libel laws are totally abolished and license and freedom given full sway, the better. Any newspaper that allows the law to be disregarded in this way compromises not only its own dignity (if any), but also the dignity of the whole Press.