Heinl radio business letter (July-Dec 1942)

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12/ 18/4 2 The Yankee and Colonial Networks’ 21 stations are WNAC, Boston; WEAN, Providence, R. I.; WICC, Bridgeport, Conn.; WAAB, Worcester, Mass.; WOSH, Portland, Me.; WLLH, Lowell, Mass.; WHAR, Fall River, Mass. ; WLBZ, Bangor, Me, ; WTHT, Hartford, Conn. ; WATR, Waterbary, Conn. ; WFEA, Manchester, N. H. ; WNBH, New Bedford, Mass.; WBRK, Pittsfield, Mass.; WHYN, Holyoke, Mass.; WNLC, New London, Conn.; V/EIM, Fitchburg, Mass,; WLNH, Laconia, N. H. ; WRDC j Augusta, Me, ; WCOU, Lewiston, Me. ; WHAI, G-reenfield, Mass, , and WHYB, Rutland, Vt. xxxxxxxx MICHELSON DISCUSSES NEWSPAPER VS. RADIO PROPAGANDA Charles Michelson, former New York World chief corres¬ pondent in Washington, who resigned last week after 10 years as Publicity Director of the Democratic National Committee, declared there was no Government plot to infringe on the freedom of the press. In discussing his past experiences, Mr. Michelson wrote; ’*A question often put to me is as to the relative value as propaganda vehicles of the newspapers and the radio. That question cannot be answered in a word. If a speech is important enough, either because of its substance or the identity of the speaker, we can be sure that many newspapers will pick it up. If I had to choose one or the other vehicles my inclination would be for the press, always assuming that, regardless of the political policies of the publications, the hypothetical speech would be carried fully, for the people retain better what they read than what they hear. That assumption, however, is rather far fetched, "Because the bulk of the press has been against the Demo¬ crats in recent elections, we had to depend on the radio to meet their barrage. It costs the Democratic Committee about half a million dollars for a radio campaign in national elections but the results have justified such expenditure. Had we been able to match the newspaper attacks by counter propaganda over the air in the recent election, I feel certain that the party in power would have fared better, but all I could spend in the recent Congression¬ al elections was hardly more than one percent of what we used two years earlier. That paid for a single coastto-coast broadcast, omitting many key points that should have been covered if we could have paid the price. "This political episode indicates that while the press has forfeited considerable prestige in the public mind, it is by no means devoid of influence, and I believe the lost prestige can be reclaimed if the policy of coloring the news to fit the editorial policy is abandoned. Gradually the people can be led back to a back to a belief that they are getting the truth. Those Journals, for example, that print the political news without interjecting sneers or drawing discrediting inferences in their reports of political happenings still have the confidence of their readers even those who are of opposite political faiths from the nublicationc XXXXXXXXXX ~ 3