Show V Freedom of the Press Belongs to the People t B By THEODORE A. A SERRILL Executive Vice President National Newspaper National Newspaper Association AssociationS AssociationS' I editor he had a aright aright as S' S i Who ever told that nosey s t t right to pry into what happened at our council F Fi meeting What gave that reporter any idea i that he could write about the school directors F Ij t the way he did I- I I i I The answer is that there is no law rule II regulation or order th that at specifically requires a aI aY Y I II newspaper reporter to cover city council school board or court sessions The Constitutions Constitutions I t S says Congress shall make no law r abridging the freedom of the press One can is r search out all of the laws of the Federal Government Govi Gov Gov- 1 the Freedom of Information Information 4 i right right down to t J mation bill passed by the Congress and r find nothing f further about the press r i i 1 The same can be said of state law Most I I state constitutions recognize freedom of the f i II press to publish news but none particularize t I 1 i these rights or set down any press I i 1 f i T The e newspaper per is not not required to report j the city council meeting or send someone to I 4 the school directors' directors sessions The reporter i i n ii could stay home Nor do laws specify that t the press be accorded any special treatment before any public body Open meeting laws f. f I never mention newspapers reporters or news media They simply affirm the right of the public at large to attend and observe meetings meetings meet meet- J ings of governing assemblies W y y ry r 1 Mrs Smith then can cover the city Ir 0 council for her club her neighborhood or orF ort t F just for herself The principle of open government government government govern govern- ment meetings was established for the people people- the resident the voter the taxpayer all the s j governed not solely for the press or its r i representatives E j Then why is it that the right to know i 1 c and freedom of information always seem to tot I t r t be linked with the press In the very early days of American settlement settlement settle settle- settlement ment all aU of the people of a local community would gather in the town meeting and determine determine determine deter deter- mine the affairs of the community Almost everybody attended and those who didn't soon learned from the informed majority But villages soon grew into cities and the pure democracy of the town meeting gave way to representative democracy Government Government Government Govern Govern- ment was growing more remote from the peo peo- It was also growing more complicated Yet the citizen as a voter had the same responsibility responsibility responsibility re re- re- re to keep himself informed It followed naturally that the Nations Nation's fledgling press should fill the role of reporter and commentator on public affairs No one passed a law requiring it The Founding Fathers Fathers Fathers Fath Fath- ers simply had faith that a private press given the guarantee of freedom to do so would accept accept accept ac ac- ac- ac the responsibility And of course it has For nearly two centuries newspapers have attended attended attended at at- tended meetings of governing bodies reporting and interpreting in behalf of the public The reporter attends city council meetings as asa a member of the public He has a right to tobe tobe tobe be present only if the public retains that right The editor comments on the councils council's decisions or or lack of them them them-as as an ordinary citizen While he is aided in his function by the printing printing printing print print- ing press at his disposal it gives him no ial rights He can comment only so long as the public has a privilege of commenting The right to know and freedom of in information information information in- in formation are concepts with which the newsman newsman newsman news news- man works every day The same professional tradition which sends him to the city council meeting compels him to resist inroads on these public rights For he knows and the public should always realize too that in all that he does the newspaperman acts as a citizen in behalf of his fellow citizens |