Media Ban ‘will Hurt Movement’ (Press, 7 June 1977)

Reporting from the United Women’s Convention in Christchurch reveals widespread discontent among North Island journalists, particularly regarding the complete ban on media coverage, including female reporters. Approximately ten women journalists attended the convention at their own expense, initially believing that only male reporters would be barred from certain seminars. However, they were unprepared for the absolute exclusion of all media coverage announced just before the event. Cathy Strong, an industrial reporter for Radio New Zealand, described the confusion her head office experienced regarding the ban prior to the convention. After initially being assured that the reports of a ban on male reporters were unfounded, a few weeks later they discovered that male journalists would indeed be restricted from attending several seminars. Despite attempts to clarify their concerns, they were told by the organisers that everything would be fine. The situation escalated when, during a Saturday morning session, female journalists were informed that while they were preferred, male reporters were still prohibited from accessing the convention. Following an incident involving a male journalist being asked to leave, female reporters decided to boycott workshops that their male colleagues could not cover. This exclusion culminated in a press conference where all journalists were informed that they would be banned from covering any proceedings on the following day. In a seminar that had previously welcomed both male and female reporters, a vote was held to formally exclude male journalists, which passed. Strong expressed her frustration, believing that the decision harmed the women’s movement by diminishing the responsible coverage that could have raised awareness of the issues discussed. Other journalists echoed this sentiment, lamenting the lack of coverage for the convention’s events and expressing regret that their planned articles would now focus on the negative circumstances surrounding the exclusion rather than the substantive issues at play. Helen Paske, a columnist, indicated that the media's relationship with the women’s movement could be seriously damaged due to the exclusion. The conference voted to support the exclusion of the media in a later motion, with results showing 1,020 in favour, 643 against, and 78 abstentions. Mrs M. K. Shields, chairwoman of the Labour Women’s Council, noted that the vote did not reflect a genuine opinion on the media but rather a reluctance to oppose the committee that had organised the convention. She expressed concern that the decision to exclude the media resulted from a reaction to how the media reported events, ultimately depriving many women of a full picture of the discussions and proceedings of the convention.

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