Wartime Censorship Of Press And Radio (Paperback)

THE REFERENCE S-HEE F Vol. 15 WARTIME CENSORSHIP OF PRESS AND RADIO COMPILED BY ROBERT K SUMMERS THE H. W. WILSON COMPANY NEW YORK 1942 PREFACE This volume is planned to tell the story of the development of censorship in. World War II, with reference to its operation, its origin, its problems, and its purpose. The field is an important one and covers many phases of activity in wartime America. Since censorship is closely linked with so many separate fields, this discussion is limited to news control alone as it affects radio and the press. No attempt is made to discuss the problems of propaganda, of suppression of freedom of speech, of the constitutional or legal aspects of censor ship, or of the situation abroad, although perhaps these problems rightfully belong to the overall censorship picture. In wartime censorship of radio and the press however, there have been greater developments and more direct evidences of news control than in any other field which the subject might possibly include. News control, after all, most directly concerns the average citizen as he listens to his radio or reads his daily paper. Comparatively little has appeared on the subject in the news paper columns or the nations periodicals. Almost exclusively, the news relating to the developments in the field of censorship has been limited to leading trade journals of the news industry Variety and Broadcasting for radio Editor Publisher for the press. This book represents an attempt to bring together materials relating to every phase of censorship of news on the radio and in the press and to present a well-rounded picture of the situation as it exists today. Both sides of the question are presented as fairly andwith as little partiality as possible. The writer wishes to express his appreciation, for permission to reprint certain of the materials used in this book, to the Council for Democracy, to the American Civil Liberties Union, 4 mi f REFERENCE SHELF r the . Najioaal Association of Broadcasters, to the Office of Censor ship to the Princeton University Press and to the editors of Advertising Age, Broadcasting, Colliers, Editor Publisher, Fortune, Harpers, Modern Industry, Newsweek, New York Times, Public Opinion Quarterly, Redbook, Saturday Evening Post, Tide, Time, United States News, Variety, and Vital Speeches. Robert E. Summers New York City, July 5, 1942 CONTENTS PREFACE 3 INTRODUCTION 9 AN UNDERSTANDING OF CENSORSHIP Discussion 15 A Definition of Censorship. . . . Democracy in Action Series 16 Krock, Arthur. A Summary of the Situation New York Times 17 An Explanation of Censorship Fortune 19 Price, Byron. Censorship and the Press 29 Price, Byron. Radio A New Weapon 35 Mac Arthur, Douglas. The Importance of the Truth 41 The Operation of Censorship United States News 42 The Importance of News Saturday Evening Post 45 HISTORY OF AMERICAN CENSORSHIP Discussion 49 Mock, James R. Censorship in American History 51 Pound, Roscoe. Military Censors in the Civil War Vital Speeches 60 Mock, James R. Censorship 1917 64 Creel, George. The Creel Censorship Colliers 69 Milner, Lucille B. Pre-war View of Censorship. . Harpers 76 DEVELOPMENT OF CONTROLS The Approach to War 1941 Excerpts 86 Organizing for War Excerpts 88 The Development of Control Excerpts 104 CENSORSHIP IN OPERATION A Summary of News Restriction United States News 129 Ryan, John Harold. Results of the First Seven Weeks ....Broadcasting 131 6 CONTENTS Butler, James J. The Censor at Work. . Editor Publisher 134 Butler, Tames T. The Changing News Picture Editor Publisher 136 Kurd, Charles. The Washington Correspondent. . Redbook 138 The Effect on Industry Modern Industry 142 Science a War Secret Time 144 The Censor Says No Broadcasting 145 The Censor Says Yes Broadcasting 146 Ban on Police-call Commercials Broadcasting 148 Self-Censorship During Churchill Visit Variety 148 Censored Annual Reports Advertising Age 149 SELF-CENSORSHIP Discussion 151 N. A. B...