| Show Half of People Dont Don't Understand Free Press Survey Shows NEW YORK March arch 4 UP Only jp-Only Only half the people had a reasonable reasonable rea rea- understanding of and belief in a free press pressa 3 a recent but limited newspaper survey of men and women in seven seven cities has disclosed V The Bulletin publication of ot the American Society of ot Newspaper Editors started the inquiry In Wilmington ViI Wil Del Y where er it h has tt its Iti office of of- flee fice and found foun l results so 80 unexpected unexpected unexpected that It induced editors editor in six other places to have their re reporters reporters reporters re- re porters question a dozen p people ople at atran ran random dom V Although fewer than Ulan a hundred replies replie were analyzed the similarity similarity similarity simi simi- larity of the answers in different cities makes make the Bulletin editors ask Question of Editors Is it just possible that editors I fully aware of their obligation to protect the constitutional guarantee guaran guaran- tee of a free press have failed in the corollary task of ot enlightening enlighten enlighten- ing and educating the public on on- the subject 1 The Bulletin reporters and those those of ot newspapers in Washington Chicago Detroit Boston Dayton and nd Minneapolis asked people two questions One One What What they think press freedom means Two Two Whether Whether they consider it vital or even important to the individual or the nation The Bulletin says of ot the replies A careful study of all those re received received received re- re shows that roughly the score is as follows Reasonable understandIng understanding understanding un un- un- un of and belief in a free press 50 p per r cent no understanding understand understand- ing or confused thought 24 percent percent per percent cent and conviction that it Vi Is desirable de de but we dont don't have It because because be be- cause of ot control 26 per per pCt cent r Typical Ans Answers rs Here Heze are typical answers answer from the seven even cities Hardware dealer Sure Sure r Sure we got gotto gotto gotto to have freedom of or the pre press the people have to have bave some place to express themselves freely In wartime wartime war war- time there are arc home kome things you cant can't print b but l aside from that no government or other agency should dictate what to print Police No officer No such thing In Inthis Inthis Inthis this country The big t fellows tell the papers what they want them to know It Its It's true here hero and it Its It's even worse nationally Ought to have it it but we haven't got it Housewife Wd W We have freedom of the press Were We're lucky Its It's no not muzzled like it is in Germany Housewife Freedom Housewife Freedom of ot press means no censorship of or news I dont don't feel reel it is tremendously im im- im- im There is so much news that is misinterpreted by the public pub pub- lie lic that it only adds to the con con- fusion U V P Permanent e r m n a ne n t t. t censorship wouldn't be a bad thing Druggist Sure Druggist Sure we must have It Nobody should be able to control control con con- the papers or keep things out of ot them in a n democratic country Engineer Freedom Freedom of or the press means the right to print the truth I think we should be told everything everything every every- thing except military information They shouldn't make agreements and treaties that will ilI affect ft the country fo for years to come without telling U us about it V Secretary Secretary Just Just theory Ordinary Ordinary nary people cant can't get gel their side of ot vital ital issues isue- isue printed |
