World Press Freedom

Report Outline
Freedom of the Press in the Postwar World
American Promotion of Press Freedom
International Action to Advance Free Press

Freedom of the Press in the Postwar World

Difficulties experienced in getting news out of eastern Europe, since the end of the war, have sharpened demands in the United States for action to promote worldwide observance of the principles of press freedom. Obstacles put in the way of American press representatives, coupled with distrust of Soviet policies in countries occupied by Russia, led to recent proposals in Congress to attach free-press conditions to distribution of United Nations Relief and Rehabilitation Administration supplies purchased with American funds. That move, involving possible denial of relief to starving populations, was condemned as an inappropriate use of the power of the American purse. But Congress may be disposed to insist on free-press requirements in connection with any proposals that may be presented to it for general financial aid to Russia or Russian-controlled countries.

For several years, leaders of the American press have been campaigning for international guarantees to assure foreign correspondents full freedom to report and transmit news in time of peace. The administration, in various ways, has demonstrated its sympathy with that objective. At recent international conferences it has strongly supported proposals to promote freer press conditions. The State Department, moreover, has been laying special emphasis on freedom of the press as a test of freedom of elections in liberated countries. Secretary of State Byrnes said, Aug. 22, that he felt fair elections could be more effectively guaranteed through the unhampered activities of a free press than through a system of official international supervision.

Chief Objectives in Struggle for World Free Press

Freedom of the domestic press of foreign countries from censorship or other forma of government control is an ideal earnestly supported by American crusaders for world press freedom. Their particular objective, however, is to bring about conditions under which there can be unrestricted exchange of information between countries. Full realization of those conditions would require recognition of the right of foreign newspaper find radio correspondents to enter any country and move about freely therein: opening of news sources to foreign correspondents on equal terms and without discrimination in favor of the domestic press; and freedom to transmit dispatches without fear of punitive action.