The Correspondent, Vol 1 1984

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1984

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Vol I

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ti#ãEã IHt GflRRESPflNDENÏ Published for the Board of Governors of the Foreign Correspondents' Club of Hongkong by News Editing Ltd. President:

Michael Keats Editor: Kevin Sinclair Advertising: David Miller

5-664711 Printed by: YEE TIN TONG PRINTING PRESS LTD.

All correspondence should be addressed to The Editor, The Correspondent, Foreign Correspondents' Club 2 Lower Albert

Road,

Central, Hongkong.

Tel: 5-21 151

1

Hughes funeral: 'Genial giant who strolled across

journalistic world' Richard Hughes was buried with grace and dignity on January 9 at

St Jospeh's Church, just a brisk stroll down the road from the FCC. Many of his friends from all walks of life were in the pews to hear

the Vicar General of Hongkong, Rt Rev Secundo Einaudi, celebrate mass. Like Dick himself, most of those in the audience usually only

graced a church for funerals.

A special edition of The Correspondent, altered at the last minute as the magazine was going to press, was distributed to mourners at the church. Several thousand extra copies were sent to the Clubs and newspaper offices around the world where Richard Hughes was better known by legend rather than in his formidable person.

Dick's last days.were painful for his wife, Ann Lee Oi-ying, who carried out a patient vigil at his bedside, and also for many friends awaiting the inevitable end.

At the funeral, a eulogy was read by the Hongkong Government's Secretary for Home Affairs, Denis Bray, an old friend of Dick's and a member of the Club for many years.

He described Richard as a genial giant who for the past 50 years had strolled across the face of journalism. Many people had benefitted from Dick's incredible kindness.

"A reporter to his bones, he was a sharp observer, had a manner of acquiring information and a distinctive style of writing.

"He had a bountiful, irreverent and robust humour," Bray added. He was a man who enjoyed life and who helped others to do the same.

Tributes and reminiscences of Dick flowed in from all over the world to Ann, to the Club and Hongkong newspaper offices.

Well, Dick Hughes' has gone now but the Club would like to note

and thank those who helped make the transition as smooth as possible. These include the Director of Housing, David Ford, the medical and nursing staff at Oueen Mary Hospital, the Director of

ABOUT THE COVER: Everyone knows Arthur Hacker, creative di¡ector of the Hongkong Government and popular FCC member for many years. In appreciation of the efforts he has made to help decorate Club premises, Hacker has been the first Associate Member to be made a life member. He is seen in front of the Club logo which he designed.

DOR TIID PROrrSslOilAr.g WHO TEI. TIID WONI.I' NBOUT trSIN

lnformation, Peter Tsao, Jim Viney and Frederick Law of Yee Tin Tong Printers who helped get out the special edition of The Correspondent in record time, the undertakers' staff who acted with great dignity and sympathy and Marjorie Monks, who had known Dick for well over 30 years and who spent much of her Christmas holiday in Hongkong helping with the last days and the funeral arrangements.

Meanwhile, down

at the Hilton,

manager Philip Mermod has

arranged that the Richard Hughes corner in the Grillroom, where Dicko

often held court, will be permanently reserved as far as possible for correspondents, journalists and FCC members. Dick would have liked that.

Unusual Dateline? File a picture w¡th your Club Magazine

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lsland adventure Above all, the journey was

FCC members go on a look-and-learn

entertaining. The sight

visit to Hainan

It was an eYe-oPener for

Governor

of Guangdong, for

of Hans

Breithaupt [German Foreign Trade lnformation Off ice] contemplating

a

in-

stance] would eagerlY advance from the line of waiting dignataries to grasp her bY the hand, welcome her bY name and saY how pleased theY were to see her back in China. On the nation's southernmost beach, near SanYa on Hainan, we were going for a swim when two elderlY EuroPean

foreign friends who live in the

couniry, had met Clare. lt was not until we were later chatting over a drink that I realised just how vast was Ms Hollingworth's exPerience in China; more than three years in the country for^the DailY Îelegraph in the earlY 197Os and ¡n addition an estimated 30 triPs which have totalled about another two Years spent in China It was interesting to see the way in which the journalists questioned officials. TheY were more

dead rats on sale in a street market brought a smile to mY face. We were all in hYsterics

buffalo manure.

The lsland's exotic taste ln food was well to the fore on the

many splendid banquets arranged by ou r hosts. meals featuring such delicacies as snake, terra-

pin. goat, rabbit and some inþredients about which it was felt

úrise not to enquire too closelY' All in all. the mixture of news-

men, consular staff and Chinese government officials was one that resulted in everyone concerned being educated, not onlY about oil and tourism, but how information gatherers from different disciPlines gain their facts' By the very nature of our orofessions, diPlomats and journalists aPProach things from a persPectlves. opposite ' Þerhaps that is one of the reasons whY I found the recent visit of Hainan and Leizhou so interest-

No, Robert Cottrell

of

the Financial

Times is not being tailed by the Hainan traffic police. lt iust seems that way on

the isÌand where foreigners are still

a

ranty

ing, not onlY the fascination of seãing parts of China which are not common tourist objectives but also having the opportunlty, equally rare for a diPlomat, of journalists at close quarseeing -and watching how theY ters work.

The aims of both rePorters and consular officials on the tour were similar. Both had to write reports' Whereas the rePorts of the journalists were to be Printed in the

There were 13 nationalities on the trip, all of them Hongkong

based newsmen or consular officials. The diPlomats were reporting back to Stockholm and Wãshington, Oslo and TokYo,

4

Bonn, Paris, Brussels, New Delhi and Ottawa. The reporters were gathering notes for dispatches which would be printed in the London Daily Telegraph and the Financial Times, the Far Eastern

Economic Review,

the

CLARE FINDS SOME FRIENDS

Asahi

Shimbun of Tokyo, the SCM Post and via Reuters and Kyodo Newsagency in publications throughout the-world.

The group was headed by Mr Li Chuwen, the deputy director of the Hsinhua Office in Hongkong and a Chinese diplomat of great distinction and experience. Officials from the Guangdong Provincial Government .accompanied the group to act as interpreters and to give assistance to the reporters and diplomats. Everyone on the trยกp agreed that the standards of the young cadres was of a high order; they were obliging, helpfull and went out of their way to help us gather informatron.

I had expected the visit to be informative and enlightening.

What I had not antยกcยกpated was

that ยกt would be so entertaining and informative. Like many peo-

ple, I dislike the idea of going on a group tour. You are generally

held back to the intellectual lowest common denominator of the slowest member of the group.

But in this case, everyone present knew the background of the areas of China which we were to visit and the progress of the

Andrew Tanzer at Sanya

of

FEER takes

It is virtually impossible to go anywhere in China with Clare Hollingworth without bumping into her friends. Here, on China's southernmost beach at the very tip of Hainan

lsland, she stopped to chat with two living legends, American-born doctor George Hatem and New Zealand-born writer Rewi Alley, both of whom have lived in China for more than a half-century. With them is Ji Shao Xiasg of the Hongkong office of Hsinhua.

quest

for oยกl under the South

for brisk, knowledgable questioning at the many briefing sessions with Chinese officials. Little time wa s wasted on questions of a basic China Sea. This made

nature.

a study break beneath the palms

Jeremy Solomons of Reuters really put

his foot in

it as he tip-toed over the

paddyfields in search of an elusive angle

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HAINAN HIGHLIGHTS

Clare Hollingworth and Hans Bre¡thaupt (German Foreign Trade lnformation Office) have a problem as they try to locate a small straw in a large bottle of beer Looking on with amusement are Doris Breithaupt and Havard Austad of the Norwegian consulate

Kevin Sinclair (SCMP) and a young huntsman have plenty to discuss about what to shoot for the pot on Hainan. The answer: Anything

A Fiesta of Mexican Cuisine From Nachos & Tacos to Mexican Steaks & Seafood Margaritas and Piña Coladas too VICTORIA CENTRE, GRbUND FLOOR, WATSON ROAD, NORTH POINT,

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Canadian diplomat Ernest Loignon was a star performer at a

concert on a state farm in Xinglong when he sang a Auebecois folk song.

Got a Story?

Tell The Correspondent

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5-665560

Before dining at the CASA , sample our Chips 'n'Dips'n' Drinks from both sides of the border in our

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The Honourable Arthur "Life term" for the father of Lap Sap Chung ln his home in

RePulse has his Hacker Arthur Bay, famous bad taste room' lt is

Topless Bar in the Wanch in order to exchange in intelltgent conversation, I immediatelY convert the cost of the drink into what 2O tins of baked beans cost. lnvariablY the tat wins out against the tit. The tat being the

Bruce Maxwell's boat one daY and arrived exPecting to see nothing but beautiful bronzed bodies in tiny bikinis and was confronted with sheets and winches. He wrYlY co-mmented, "lf l'd known I had to Pull all

beans, of course."

of good taste evident that comes fro"m the imaginative Pen of the

What about clothes (knowing he's been referred to as the worst dressed man in Hong-

Over the Years, he has made such

kong.)

Government's artistic director'

a contribution to decorating

the

oremises that he has been made ãn Associate Life Member' All will agree it is an honour well deserved.

One wet June daY many Years

He replied that this was no longer the case, as the Ladies Rec"reation Club have now voted him the best dressed man in Hongkong.

Al far-as music is concerned, he's tone deaf but he does know "God Save the Oueen." He confesses to liking the bagPiPes and music hall ãongs, ParticularlY bawdy ones.

for an Art Director and got one as a Production Officer. The abbreviation for that Post in those daYs was "Prod Off," and Arthur resented and disliked that mixture of letter intenselY until he found out that the Film Off icer was referred to as "F Off ."

Until then, his career had been rather uneventful he had worked in the Street of Adventure (Fleet Street) and was Art Director for a record company at the time it turned down the Beatles. So things could onlY go uP' I decided to PrY into his Private life and asked him about his taste

By Gynthia HYdes

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reads poems to himself.

Arthur started to doodle and draw when he was about three years old. Encouraged bY- his ôreat Uncle Arthur and his Great Grandfather, there was nothing eccentric about being an artist in the Hacker familY. He was exhibiting at the RoYal AcademY in his early 2O's. "Were theY good?",.1 asked. "TheY were dreadfull" was the rePlY.

Recently, while in Bali, Arthur found himself completely relaxed.

He doesn't know the meaning of the word "loneliness"; there's always something for him to do or somewhere to go. Sitting bY a lily pond in that magical island, he saw a girl bathing and he got the ¡s. Noth,'roe Tã draw her, her. that ¡s' urge. To ing was airline p

andap

what he drawing.

And,

Tennis is a Passion of Arthur's and he's said to be quite good at

the game. having three times been the Chi Ma Wan doubles my is worked out bY the cost,of "lf baked beans" saYs Arthur' situation a l'm presented with where I have to buY an expenslve diink of green water f or a girl in a

he daydreams, fantasises

champion. That's the one where Jack'spackman works out the rules. Here I got a little lost Arthur talks like a machine gun'not so keen. There's Sailing he was invited on that a rumour

of

course. there's his

monster, Lap SaP Cheung who's helped to clean uP Hongkong considerably. He came into existence while Arthur was sitting in a corner seat of the Hilton Grill sipping a glass of wine and completely uninspired. "Well, he said

to himself", what l'll do is Put

together all the insulting cartoons l'vã done of my friends. TheY all

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4

think they're funny. And l'll see whether it works." And when people said "oooooooch," he knew it had.

Magic is part of what makes Arthur tick. He believes in the naturalness of magic and when he does something good, special, he says something in side of him has done it, almost without his being aware that it was happening. Granted, his skills are highly disciplined ones, like those of a writer or a musician, but if he makes a mistake, it is a deliberate one. There isn't time in his life for an empty canvas to stare at. lt's along time since he graduated from craziness and over-rebelliousness and he does what he wants to do, not by other people's rules.

When he travels, which he loves doing, the first thing he does in a new place is to get three ideas for three drawings.

He gets the feel of the place, the features of the people in his mind and, more often than not, the fragile elegance of the young. ln Tahiti he was disappointed with the work he saw of Gaugin; a painter he had always thought to be earthy suddenly looked to him like a Playboy picrure painrer the flower behind which ear?

-But long-term loves in the canvas

world include promise

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tolerant. Although

his

Diaghalev.

I asked Arthur why he had given so much of his time and creative energy to the FCC when we moved to the old ice house from Sutherland House. "Because it's the best club in the world where clubs are concerned,- they don't come any better." He takes his hat off to the Committee and to Hu Van Es. He said they were so enthusiastic about his ideas and so willing to discard prejudices, so eager to bring the decor of the club up to professional standards that he was free to create and work as he liked. He was totally supported by the General Manager, the President and the Committee. ln addition, his then boss, Bob Sun, a long time member of the FCC also gave him absolute support because he felt it was a worth-

while project.

A final word or two. Arthur Hacker says that he is "elated, honoured, devastated ..." that he has been made a life-long honorary member of the FCC. However, he now feels a terrible

sense of responsibility, having been so honoured that doesn't feel that he can really fall over drunk at the bar _ he,ll have to behave like Van Es now. On the other hand, he mused, "Really the FCC is such a great place because it's a place where people can be relaxed and be themselves

New members will see traces of Arthur's art from top to bot-

tom of the Club. His Cartographic Extravaganza hangs in thĂŠ pool Room; his wonderful map of China in the main bar (t'hat's something that's never going to wear out) and some of what he calls his "squiggles" hang over the meat trolley in the main dining room.

He did a repair job on our crest, using all the original elements of the shield and the old crest motif of "The pen is mightier than the previously or one pen nlarged the the helmut and developed the design in his own curlicue style.

So there's a lot of Arthur Hacker in the FCC, including, usually, Arthur himself, and now he's here for life. Thanks Arthur, from all of us.

I

Gaugin,

Francesca, Titian, Goya, Turner and Picasso, and he's a sucker for sporting prints although they don't necessarily have anything to do with art, he loves the stretched-out legs of horses. On the other hand his taste is very conservative; he has great admiration for Van Gogh and, like him, any artist with guts.

Picasso, Arthur told me, "l wish that rhe people whosaid like my work liked the painters I like for example, Poussin.

-likes to look at a paintingArthur for a long time. His father told him that if you looked at a Picasso long enough and half close your eyes, it will come into focus and become the real thing." A forlorn hope. says Arthur. His parents, he twinkled, were magnificently P

was the world's second worst cook who once dipped the green legs of a Christmas goose into Harpic before overcooking it, was reported to have danced with

mother

Arthur (the haĂ­riest one) presents a copy of his scatological cartographicai image of Hong Kong to the club as Hu van Es, Annie van Es and piesident Keats look on. (Ray Cranbourne: pix.)

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Advertising nothing new in China, says Holbeche The prospect of 1997 and China's

resumption of soveignty over Hongkong has not daunted Club member Michael Holbeche from having a rosy view of the future. ln a recent speech, the head of Saatchi and Saatchi in Hongkong joined the queue

of what he described as "an orgy of

oracles" to give his viewpoint about how

the Colony stands wlth particular refer-

I have been in

Hong Kong for 1 3 years

was born in the Year of the Pig I arrived here ¡n the Year of the Pig and we have I

just completed the Year of the pig.

ence lo advertising.

' lf I were a relatrvely uninformed, politically naive young executive, having spent only one year in Hongkong, striving eagerly to build my new career in my new

country, how would I feel about now Should I buy my new flat, and put my savings into a booming Hong Kong stock market, or should I start looking at the Jobs Vacant in the London Times and save up for my ticket home, After all, why should I be confused. am being constantly informed of what is going to happen to Hong Kong by a network of newspapers unsurpassed in the world of journalism where, indeed,

term future of Hong Kong.

And yet, with inexorable fatality, 1gg7 was getting ever nearer. ln t¡mes of boom, success and affluence, it is a brave person indeed who can become, if you like, the devil's advocate,

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- comments can I read the various

and metaphorically wipe the smile of

euphoria from the lips of a community, for whom, patently, nothing could possibly go wrong! But such was the unenviable

and

opinions of no less than 1OO newspapers in one relatively small town like ours? Here is a file of articles from September 1982 up to October 1983 specifically on the issue of 1997 They are raken from the Far Eastern Economic Review, the Asian

role of the British Prime Minister.

ïhe shock of honestly confronting the true realities of the future of this extraordinarily successful country, bitter as the lasÌe might have been, was infinitely more

Wall Street Journal and the South China Morning Post.

lf I couldn't get a clear picture from the 9 articles in the Review, I could possibly clarify my thinking wirh the 38 reports in the Wall Street Journal lf I still had some grey areas in my mind, I could sit on my balcony with a beer and peruse the one hundred and thirty three stories in the 'l

MIKE HOLBECHE

chairman and manag-

ing director SAATCHT & SAATCHI

-in

Hong Kong.

It is true that I was irresistibly seduced

by the creative charisma and the dyna-

mism of the Saatchi & Saatchi company For how often, these days, have we seen such optimism, excitement and aggression from a British company; ¡n the fierce, uncompromising global theatre of

South China Morning Post.

Having done that, it m¡ght occur to me that I was getting a slightly biased view by studying only the English language press, and I would probably persuade one of my Chinese friends to whip me through the 'l 997 coverage in just two of the more inf luential Chinese newspapers read by businessmen in the community, the Wah Kiu Yat Po and the Sing Tao Jih Po, after all, we would only have to digest three hundred and thirty six different stories on the issue in these two papers alone Now, with my mind fine-tuned to the problem I could spend a litrle t¡me at the Foreign Correspondents' Club getting the

comes the seductive siren, beckoning

some serious thought

is never comfortable, seldom soothing, frequently frustrating, always noisy, sometimes cold but surprisingly often, very emolionally warm She gives you norhing for nothing but pays back real effort and commitment with generous interest She is volatile, fickle, hot and

true facts, from the horse's mouth so lo speak While I was chatting to my friends of the media, I would probably hear rhe lalest "in" joke at the club "Panic now and avoid the rush later " The irony is that I might well by now be confused enough to give that advice

I

believe I had to live here through one full cycle to feel that I was really a belonger.

Last year I left Hong Kong, succumbing to the beckoning finger of Europe. I was away for just 3 months

humid She is Hong Kong, and ro those who have got to know and love her, she is home. For all of us who have spent some time here, the question of the lease of the N T and a part of Kowloon, and its expiry in 1997 have always been present as a prece of knowledge in our minds, but paradoxically rather more as a sort of historical fact of the future than a dreaded doomsday where calendars would stop and life as we know it would cease to exist. ln the Seventies it would have needed a very fertile imagination to believe that the Captains of our lndustry and the pillars of our community, while they were creating one of the greatest property booms since the invention of the brick, had any severe misgivings about the long

desirable than forging blindly onwards, with a full head of steam until the eleventh hour would inevitably arrive, obviating by its urgency any opportun¡ty for proper, relaxed and dignified negotiations, to accommodate the complicated and divergent requirements of all the parties involved

There are obviously those who did not

like what was said and done in Beijing back in late 1982, but from those of you who have read at least a sampling of

Advertising, hirherto dominated by the American conglomerate giants, an English

those volumes that have been penned on

advertising man must be excused for

since that historical day, I would challenge

a

slight tingling of pride to be associated with a British Agency that in 13 short years has become the 7th largest in the

world, billing over 1/¿ billion U.S Dollars, and is the fastest growing Ad Agency the

world has ever seen But the real core of my motivation in coming back was Hong Kong itself.

For those who have left her, she beirresistibly to the restless adventurer She

this prickly issue in the short

months

any of you to define precisely what was definitively the right approach; suffice it to say that the nertle was firmly grasped, and dialogue on an absolutely fundamental and inescapable matter, inextricably linked with the very life-blood and future of Hong Kong, was initiated ln all I have said so far I have not yer casl any real light on what I believe the future holds, particularly for the advertis-

ing industry. The past decade has seen

tremendous growlh in advertising in Hong Kong, both in quality and in volume. ln the early seventies, the total advertising expenditure in Hong Kong was 4/5 hundred million dollars. This figure has grown to a sum in excess of 1 5 billion dollars (Continued on page 22 ) 11

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with those who straggled in from other venues' By 2am there was probably a record number of people in the building and drink consumption climbed to a new peak.

It was a relaxed evening full of laughs and good nature. Everyone was out to have a good time and they succeeded. plenty smjle (left) to has Caméraman Hugh van Es about as wife Annie high-steps her way into the New Year. Arthr Hacker and Les Collings (Database) share a glass under Dick Hughes' bust while John Crawley ãnd wife Connie flank the famous eyes of Soyong Leonard who stares down from every rtró"t corner in the Colony in the Hongkong ls Watching You campaign to keep the city clean.

ready for you...

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Faces old and new were seen about the bars. Clockwise from top right...

Veteran airman 'Pat' patterson aims a lens at our cameraman as wife Tyne tries to divert him with a kiss. The piper from the Scots Guards entered into the spirit of the evening. Security consultant Mike Jones struck a distinctly military air, reminiscent of the days he used to jump into the jungles of Malaysia as a member of the Special Air Service. Artist Peter Cotton and HK Bank spokesman Barry Whalen toast 1984. John Lenaghan of Thomson Press hails the advent of the New Year. A hirsuite trio in HK Polytechnic's Barry Burton (right), Trade Development Council's Saul Lockhart and Fred Armentrout of Pacific magazine.

Lucky Mike Westlake of Far Eastern Economic Review gets a New Year hug from Susan Gelito while Dinah Lee of The Economist and Washington Post almost caused a riot in her off-the-shoulder sheath and caused partrick Smith of the FEER to break out in a justifiably happy grin.

Inl{ongKong, thercarcmarywrys ,tosucceed.

HUTCHISON WHAMPOA LIMITED

22nd Floor, Hutchison House, Hong Kong' Telephone: 5-230161. Telex: 73176 HILHK HX'

Award offered for future of journalism

Communications from the heavens

The FCC of Japan is offering three

cash awards for young journalists who take part in their latest essay competition. Entry is restricted to Asian journalists aged under 30 working for recognised print or

lf you ever wondered how messages get back to earth from satellite relays, here's the answer.

Drawn to scale below are three new space communication satellites which provide services for a wide range of different needs. Note the size of the human figure at left. The satellites are dropped off in orbit from the space shuttle or from simpler, cheaper disposable rockets.

broadcast media.

The subject of the essay contest

is 'The Future of Journalism in

My

Country.' Entries should be in English and between 1 ,25O to 1,500 words.

First prize in Yen75O,0OO, second place is worth Yen5OO,00O and third prize winner will get Yen250,OOO

Entries should be sent to t h e Chairman, Scholarship Committee, FCC of Japan, Yurakucho Denki Building, 1-7-1 Yurakucho, Chiyoda-

Shalom from Liz .lf anyone should be

passing

ku, Tokyo, Japan, and must be there by the end of March.

through lsrael, they've been invÂĄted

Back on the wire

ing in the Holy City.

FCC president Michael Kears has

gone back

to his first love, wire

services. After two years spent at

the Hongkong helm of the Australian

publishing house of David Syme Ltd,

keats

is now

whence he came.

back

at Upl from

to look up former Club members A1 Gibson and Liz Eckersley, now resid-

41, formerly of Routers in Hongkong is now with Visnews in lsrael.

Liz, longtime FCC steward and later of the wine firm of Bravona, writes to

saY can dal

they Mig_

huda

Stre

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i;,J

TþüE

NE üffiffiþffiffi Communication satellltes are expen-

Press

freedom in Grisis

Condition World wide debate cont¡nues to rage about the notion that there should be a "New Order" for the world's press. Those in favour tend io be, generallY, Third World spokesmen, generallY of theleft although on the issue of "control" of the Press authoratarian states of all political Persuasion seem to find mutual ground.

Those oPPosed to the which offensive notions

By Elliott Abrams

l'd like to

resPond

to Mr.

(Hamdy)

Kandil's remarks rather than go ahead with a prepared text, because ¡t strikes

me that his remarks were very candid, and they tell us exactly what the nature of the

problem at UNESCO is.

Aí one point, he said that rhe United States oerceived the New World lnformation Oräer as a sort of Soviet effort, and that, in fact, it should be seen in the NorthSouth context. And he said something to the effect that the major change was that two-thirds of the world's population have

is not the freedom of the state to control

- as the include such ideas

are licensing of iournalists - in generatly howled down

tracts will be Printed in future. But in the meantime, all memwhat do YOU bers, not onlY iournalists think of the idea of a shackClub to press?

Write led Your magazine and let us krtow after you have read some of the following conflicting viewpoints..

anywhere.

What UNESCO has done here, I think, to be carefully looked at' I agree with Mr. Kandil on this. But you know, there's a problem, and that is' we have a needs

powerful voice in UNESCO. I like to think

ihat it's even more powerful now'

And

therefore we have been able to block what I think would have been a larger trend in UNESCO. When I saY "we" mean that it's not just the Un¡ted States There are many countries that share our view We've ProbablY worked more I

closely with the Un¡ted Kingdom than any other, but many countries share our view of these press issues.

And so 1o saY that UNESCO has not ðone certain things is to say a good deal, but not everything. I have testified to this

moved ahead.

I say this in part because most of the member countries of UNESCO and of the U.N. do not have, and do not believe in, a

know why.

the ¡nternational conferences where these evil no-

t¡ons are loudlY sProuted.

Recently the World Press Freedom Committee Published a book on the issue entitled The Media Crisis and noted on the cover that ¡t was a continuing challenge to freedom of the PressSome of the views expressed in the book are reprinted in this issue of The Gorrespondent. More ex-

country. Poverty is no excuse for a government to try to take over the press

should be neutral in this struggle, because

the

Universal Declaration

of

Human

Rights, the U.N. Charter, and UNESCO's àrin statutes make it clear that UNESCO is supposed to be in favor of free press and the free flow of information. ln theory vvs ¿ll know this is just a theory, but it every -is nevertheless true in theory - of the country which becomes a member U.N. and UNESCO makes a comm¡tment at even the to fre

positi rhat shoul

Pf9.s9.^i9 t uNESco

is struggle seems to me to be an enormous concession for the West to make.

I do not think that the level of wealth of a country has the slightest thing to do with the question we're discussing' There is no country that is too poor 10 be free or to have a free press.

this, but ¡t ¡s not alone. And so ljust want to make the point that UNESCO has not done these things, and that is one of the reasons we're still in it' Our view on this is that these ideas are very impoftant, and that, in fact, they will hav'e consequences for press freedom throughout the world. On the question of whatìan be done to helP Third World think that we have a litY. We've been trYing d in the IPDC, and we'll . And we're anxious to

to concrete proposals, practical orooosals for what might be done' ' ön the issue of PrinciPle, we do not think there can be anY compromlse.

And on that point I would like to repeat something that I said a few months ago and for which there has been unanimous

listen

support within the administration: Ultimately it is not the future of press freedom t'hat is at stake here; it is the future of UNESCO.

16

I

What the Third

percent of all newspapers and televrsion emitters in the world and barely 2 percent of radio receivers; many of our countries

WorldWants...

And Why

Jean Ping is the ambassador of Gabon to UNESCO, a post the has held since 1978 He is president of the African states group at UNES CO and president of the G 77 working group on information and commun¡cation

By Jean Ping The term "new international information and communication order" derives directly from the Ìerm "new international economic order," the origins of which are themselves multiple: political, economic, cultural, social, etc But the whole problem hinges on the need to effect a transformation of international relations:

lnitially, a political lransformation, on the basis of recognition of rhe right of all peoples to self-determinarion; then an economic transformation, founded on the principle of recogñition of the right to development; and, specifically in regard to the malÏer that concerns us, a transformation of information through recognition of the right to communicate which implies not only the right to be informed but also its corollary, the right to inform Reference to a "new order" necessari-

ly implies a pre-existing order (or disorder) ln the field of information and communication, the former international order, which is still ¡n fact the present

order, is characterized by the basic imbal-

ances governing relations between developed and developing countries.

A few examples that are well known to all are more than sufficient to illustrate this situat¡on: As regards the Northern hemisphere:

. Five press agencies, the "big five" (i.e., the two United States agencies, AP and UPl, the British agency Reuters, Agence France-Presse and the Soviet TASS) control more than 80 percent of the world news flow;

. Four radio networks (Voice of America, the BBC, Deutsche Welle and Radio-Moscow) have a virtual monopoly of all radio programs beamed abroad;

. Eighty percent of annual book production ¡n the world is concentrated in the main industrialized countries;

. Ninety percent of the available wave spectrum, i e , the usable radio frequencies, is taken up by broadcasts from the industrial countries; . The same is true of the production of Ielevision and newsfilms, not to men-

1¡on satellites, computers, microprocessors, videotexts and the whole range of advanced technology.

As regards the Southern hemisphere: ïhe case of Africa is particularly sig-

nificant

in this respect, and

here the

statistics are very revealing Our continent

as a whole has only approximately

1

have no telegraphic press agency, no daily newspapers and no lelev¡s¡on network The ent¡re cont¡nent accounts for less than 1 percent of total world newsprint consumption and, on average, our states ¡mport 6O percent of thelr televisron programs ln a word, the African continent, wh¡ch

possesses the least advanced communicat¡on system in the world, is not merely bombarded with mater¡al from quts¡de, but is also unable to produce, em¡t or receive its own messages. ln Gabon, for example, all that is known of Kenya or Tanzania is what Reuters and Agence France-Presse deign to select and put out from London or Paris.

It is for Ìhis reason that the

new

(bl tmprovig training and research capabilities, since it is not enough to "set the stage" (i.e., provide rhe infrasrructures); what must also be done is to train our own "actors" (engineers, manage-

ment personnel, programmers, editors, reporters, authors, script wrrters, etc ).

The fact is that the developing countries are severely handicapped by the shortage of skilled manpower, training ¡nst¡tutions and funds. Hence lhe need to

train the personnel required not only to use, manage and maintain the facilities, but also to produce and distribute messages and programs; and this in turn will naturally entail setting up nat¡onal or regional training institutions for the purpose

(cl The endogenous character of the content of the messages and programs. lr is pointless to invest so much in terms of

international order we advocate in the

equipment and manpower, knowledge

we have just described and to achieve in the long run a fairer and better balanced

and know-how if it ultimately means serving as no more than a relay station for the great information monopolies or slavishly copying foreign programs lnstead, we must endeavor to produce our own messages and programs, more in keeping

field of information and communication aims to reduce the growing inequalities

relationship between North and South on

the basis of equality, freedom,

mutual

benefit and solidarity between all nations

Steps Toward a NIIGO The question which arises is how we can take effective steps so as to achieve this objective The answer is two-fold: that of theory and reflection on the concept of the NllCO, and that of the search for ways and means for concrete act¡on | Firstly, with regard to pract¡cal - the strategy of the NIICO should act¡on,

consist in identifying and carrying out such practical and effective measures aimed at reducing imbalances of all kinds and to which we have just referred ln this respect, the UNESCO program of action (lnternational Program for the Development of Communication IPDC) in wh¡ch

- is a partcularly so much hope is placed, appropriate framework for stimulating and promoting this type of strategy. ln this context, the measures to be adopted should focus primarily on:

lal Strengthening the infrastructures, which is one of the major concerns of the developing countries The aim here is to help the Third World to develop its own facilities for producing, receiving and disseminating messages (the press and audio-visual media; telecommunications networks; publishing; films; data storage systems, etc ) so as to enable our countries to gain access, either individually or collectively, to the means of transmitting information and of producing equipment and programs It must be specified in this regard that restoring the proper balance implies, among other lhings: a more equitable distribution of radio bandwidths; a more

with our own cultural identity and better able 1o respond to the genuine needs and deep-felt aspiratrons of our peoples What we accordingly have 1o do now, to

go back to our theatrical metaphor, is to "write the play."

Needless to say, none of this implies any form of isolationism, but on the con1fary, a responsiveness to external influences and the major lrends of the contemporary world in order to give rise to a process of mutual enrichment through dialogue and exchange This means that foreign programs should continue to have their full place alongside endogenous pro-

grams, but no more than their place There, too, it is a question of finding a balance

ll

W¡th regard to theory and reflec-

- the NllCO, il must f¡rst be stressed t¡on on that they cannot be altogether dissociated from action While it is true to say thal rhe

of a NIICO calls less for academic discussions or "demagogic slogans" than for pract¡cal act¡on, ir must establishment

nonetheless be recognized that the problems of communication are so complex that they cannot be solved merely by transf

erring material, technological or

financial resources

Secondly, restoring a genuine and effective balance in international relations presupposes a certain consensus on what it is the international commun¡ty is setting out lo achieve

ln this regard, it may not be out of

place to recall that the "New Order" is not an end in itself the ultimale beneficiary

should be man,- all men, considered individually or as a group It is for all these reasons that practical

orderly use of geostationary orbit for

act¡on tries to f it into an ethical and

man-made satellites; a change in telecommunication tariff structures; easier access to scientific and technical information; fostering appropriate technologies more consistent with our cultural and social environment; and promoting research and development, etc

philosophical framework, flexible enough to be acceptable to all There are already a number of instruments of d¡fferent kinds which in theory ought to govern international relations in the field of information and communicatron.

I

i

17

l¡

J

tl

They include: the Charter of the United Nations and UNESCO's Constitution

{1945); the Universal Declaration of Human Rights (1948); the Convention on the lnternat¡onal Right of Correction (1952); the lnternational Convention on

the Elimination of All Forms of

Racial

Discrimination (1965); the Declaration of

The question at first is answered by observing that

UNESCO

is composed of

virtually the 1 5 8 member nations - the debates In and that whole world - impetus and vitality to this forum lend concepts and positions which might be tempting for some nations to firsl embrace, and then to enforce upon the¡r

Telecommunication Convention (1973); the Declaration on the Establ¡shment of a

citizens. Simply put: if a dictator wants to impose censorship in his country, he can but it's polirically easier for him do so to get -away wilh it if he couches his new

l'1974lr; and the Declaration on Fundamental Principles Concerning the Contribution of the Mass Media. . (1978). To

been endorsed. or at least discussed, in an international forum like UNESCO. But again the question: does it really

United Nations and UNESCO.

veloped and developing societies alike if the diclalor of an obscure country

Guiding Principles for the Use of Satellite Broadcasting 119721; the lnternational

New

lnternational Economic Order

this list may be added the numerous relevant resolutions adopted by the

'New Order' Would

ExPand Free-

dom

It emerges from an analysis of all these

instruments to which the internat¡onal community has subscribed that there are already a number of considerations,

principles and standards capable of pioviding a preliminary ethical basis for the establishment of a "freer and more

balanced" NllCO. Freer, because the new order, far from questioning the freedom of communication enjoyed by only a small minority, on the contrary seeks to make it available to all peoples. More balanced, because it is a question of reducing the gap between developing and developed countries, making room for the communicat¡on systems of the Third World and assuring greater reciprocity in the flow.of information

I

share the oPinion of those who believe that a balanced exchange of informalion and a free flow of informat¡on are the two sides of the same coin and do not represent any form of contradiction. The same is true for reflection and action (theory and practice): they are both necessary for the establishment

This is why

of a NllCO.

"national law" in phrases which have

matter to the rest of the world

de-

closes its borders to outsiders and reports to the world with but one voice on evenls inside the countrY? but ¡t's Maybe not in that one case - informaa step toward a future world of tion islands that either don't talk to each

other or do so only in governmenl-controlled dialogues. That kind of world minimizes the chances for peace and diminishes opportunities for human attainment and for individual rights.

Threading through the all-too-common discussion outlined above is the simplistic assumption that the "new world information order" concept is all bad. lt is not, though it contains dangerous elements for freedom-loving péople who depend upon a free press to alert them to excesses by governments. The concept arose while UNESCO debated a declaration on the "use" of the mass media The American

Newspaper Publishers Association and others strongly opposed the idea of goveven to ernment "using" the media world achieve laudable goals. lf a "new information order" leads to a lessening of press freedom, all people will suffer'

But the "new world

information order" also calls for increasing the capa-

bilities for people to communicate with one another. That would be good for everyone.

One doubts that a "new world information order" ever will be defined precisely, or that any such "order" adopted

We Gan't Afford A World of Regulated News

by UNESCO will be ratified by member states as "international law."

It is likely, however, that the debate

will focus increased world attention communication issues. Thus, it

on could be

for good or ill depending upon how we

and òthers perceive these ¡ssues and deal

with them.

Jerry.W. Friedheim is executive vice president and general manager of the American Newspaper Publishers Assoc¡ation'

By Jerry W. Friedheim Over the recent half dozen Years we have heard a great deal about a "new world information order." The forum in which the phrase is most often heard is

of course, has no police powers and so the question is UNESCO. UNESCO,

often asked, but usually in genteel phrase-

ology: "So what?"

18

ln his paper on "The New World lnfor-

mation Order" (July 1978), Mastapha Masmoudi, who then was secretary of

state for information, government of Tunisia, said the concept "seeks to establish relalions of equality in the communications field between developed and developing nations and aims at greater justice and greater balance.... Developing countries musl cease 1o be mere consumers of information and become fully-fledged autonomous producers in the informalion

and communications sector. " (Paragraphs 38 and 39).

- Many U.S. journalists would argue thal

an important difficulty with the Masmoudi

model is ¡ts stress upon government as the communicator We would prefer to

see a Ì¡uorld develop in which people in developing counlries could have increased opporlun¡ties to communicate. Governmenl can often be part of the problem; and a government wilh power to d¡ctate news media content often is lempted to do so.

Yet, it is not for us to decide the system of government in another society.

We should continue our efforts to

advance the cause of a press free of govern-

mental restra¡nts, but we cannot afford to ignore societies in which government has some authority over the media. lndeed, in some of those societies, a large measure of private-sector press freedom exists; and in some others, a private-sector press may develop in the future.

Opportun¡t¡es and Dangers The fact is that a world debate on communication issues flourishes. That debate carries with it two basic thrusts: 1) increase communication capabiliries; 2) influence news content. ANPA and other press-freedom organizations strongly oppose the latter; but we are cooperating on Ìhe former, as long as the increased capa-

bilities appear likely to lead to an increased number of media voices and informa-

t¡on sources

not just to a slronger

voice replacing- several smaller ones To improve capabilities for increased

communications, emphasis needs

to

bsrTond training and equipment transfer

deal with major impediments, such

go

to as

newsprint supply and the costs of interna-

tional communication. The press in the developed world long has helped with

training and equipment More needs to be done, and our efforts continue But other needs merit attenÌion

Newspapers cannot Print without paper. ANPA research has proved that kenaf, a planr which grows well in many

developing countries, is an excellent pulp source for newsprint manufacture. Development of a kenaf newsprint production system could lead to increased newsprint

at a time when success of supplies in many countries are literacy programs making newspapers a more useful communical¡on medium

Although all existing newspapers will benefit from increased world supplies of newsprint, the greatest help from kenaf may come iq developing countries where kenaf growd well and where newsprint supply problems are holding back formation of new newspapers. UNESCO could play a significanl role in fostering kenaf newsprint development worldwide.

No information travels between countries rapidly and in significant quantities without the payment of substantial costs

for telecommunications transmissions

UNESCO's working group on international

telecommunications tariffs has recommended that governments which regulate these tar¡ffs reduce them to encourage increased usage and to foster more communications between nations. More na-

lions need to recognize that high international telecommunications rates are partly

I

respons¡ble for the "imbalance" in world

information flows that proponents of a "new world information order" deplore Here again, it is rhe developing societies that can least afford communicat¡on costs and that could generate much of the increased usage if costs were lower Similar logic applies to international postal rates ln addition to efforts to increase the

number of communicat¡ons voices,

a

"balanced" communications flow world

wide also depends upon access to infor-

mat¡on. Travel reslrict¡ons need to be minimized And movement across borders needs to be facilitated for newspapers, magazines and books. Harsh governmental réstr¡ctions on the flow of people and ideas across and within borders does more toward minimizing communi-

cations today than do economic restraints. Any "world communication

order" should embrace the concepts of Basket lll of the Helsinki Accords, which promotes the flow of .information, ideas and people among partic¡pating states Th¡s is where some of the statements

world information order" would encourage governments

to do what cannot really

be done: define truth Giving a governmenl, or anyone else, the power to decide what is "true" only provides inordinate power to dictate

Protectíon lies not in deciding truth, but in enabling as many vo¡ces as poss¡ble to pursue truth and to report their findings to others No single voice can be relied upon always to portray "truth"

dissemination, the better

The Yardstick ln the words of the UNESCO constitu-

t¡on, a major goal is "the unrestr¡cted

pursuit of objective truth, and . the free exchange of ideas and knowledge " That is a noble goal shared by ANPA and many others worldwide But "pursuit of objec-

tive truth" is not served by having governments de'fine "lruth

the¡r own personal Power Some more from the Masmoudi PaPer:

" the right of those receivin g informalion should be so

regulated as 1o sanclion the funclions of interaction and participalion and to ensure free and bal anced flow of ¡nformat¡on " (ParagraPh 44)

"The new world informalon must Promole a new

order

concePtion of access informa-

tion

based on

the

following

principles: regulalton of the r¡ght to ¡nformat¡on bY Prevent-

"

ing abusive uses of the right of

access lo information; definition of apPropr¡ate cr¡ter¡a lo govern lrulY objective news selection; regulation of the collection, processing and transm¡ssion of news and data across national fron t¡ers " (ParagraPh 46) ''(T)he State concerned should have the right to Publish or have Published a communique rectifying and suPplement¡ng The false or incomPlete ¡nformation alreadY dissem¡nated " (Paragraph 49) "This right of correct¡on should be reinforced before an

¡nternational

lr¡Parlite

bodY

grouPing logether representaItves oI States, rePresenTatives

of the Profession and neutral f¡g-

ures-

"(ParagraPh5O)

So it is clear that while some aspects of the "new world information order" concept encourage increased communication capabilities and the fostering of more ¡nformation vo¡ces, other aspects advocate increased governrnental controls ovü information content and foster reslrictions on ¡nformation judged by governmental entities to be "unbalanced" or "false" or "¡ncomplete " Clearly, some advocates of a "new

structive and which m¡ght lead to greater domination of Iarger masses of people, we must apply as a yardstick the impact

upon ¡nd¡v¡dual in[ormation consumers: readers, listeners, v¡ewers of information media

The critical question is: Are people

gett¡ng informat¡on necessary for broad understanding of the¡r world, their soc¡ety and community; and are they able to express their own views ând concerns?

Government cannot achieve those goals through regulation Governmental and private sectors can cooperate to en-

courage a muh¡pl¡city of

voices

information

the course with the greatest

- for enhancing international potential understanding The effect of the current NWIO debate

could be to foster a cooperat¡ve effort toward more information voices, bringing to individual information consumers increased viewpoints, ideas and information sources. While this could challenge ed¡tors in the developed world, it would enhance their abilities to provide readers

with a greater var¡ety of information by

giving them more opportunities to corroborate facts, and to recogn¡ze view-

points which today may be overlooked On the other hand, the debate could encourage increased governmenÌal conlröls, nation by nation, on news content and upon access to information and news

distribution. lt could lead to islands of peoples ill informed about peoples elsewhere in the world yet still living in an - where actions in interdependent world

one part of the world affect people

in

other parts Let alone prospects for

peace, a simple glance at world economics proves the interdependency of our

world.

We really cannot afford a world of regulated news and views

Malcolm Rifkind, parliamentary undersecretary of state rn the Bntish Foreign and Commonwealth Offrce, is responsible for U K policy on UNESCO's information and communications ac 1r

much as it might strive to do so The cause of lasting peace is served by a world of many voices able to communicate to the broadest possible segment of the world's populace The more voices and the broader the

ln judging which aspects of a "new world information order" might be coninformation content so as to preserve

The 'New Order' And the IPDC: A Flawed Approach?

v rtre

s

By Malcolm Rifkind

ln consider¡ng any so-called New World lnformation and

Communication Order, it is essential to see clearly through

the customary ideological smoke screen and rhetorical make-believe to the underlying real-life problems and practical development needs which face the less developed world.

There is no communication package on the shelf which will provide instant

communication capability to countr¡es which lack technical expertise, trained manpower and management experience and provide their own internal communications let alone the ability to communicate- w¡th the rest of the world

Moreover, communication is only one

of many sectors ¡n urgent need of development in many Thírd World countries Who would envy governments which have to allocate limited resources between such vital areas as food product¡on, water supply, health, even literacy?

Where would one place communication in such development plans?

These are real-life considerations which ideology and rhetoric ignore; this is the real tragedy behind the make-believe continually pronounced and discussed at about 10O international meet¡ngs over the last decade or so, the majority convened or sponsored by UNESCO lt is pointless 1o cry "unfair" and "unbalanced", when viewing the communicat¡on capability of the Third World against that of the First World There is no comparison, and the same imbalance obtains in almost every other sector in development: like it or not this is one of the facts of life which makes the Third World less developed Much effort at UNESCO has been expended in analysing the problems of communication development needs. ïhis was central to the work of the international Commission for the Study of Communication Problems as expressed in what has become known as the Ma'cBride Report.

We cannot accept much of this document, particularly recommendations stressing the need for greater government

intervention in media operations and which have an unsubstantiatecj bias against the commercialized forms of the mass media. But we would not contest

the report's ¡ntroductory observation that

"structural changes in the field of communication are necessary and that the existing order is unacceptable to all " ln defining the extent of the problem, MacBride admits that "there is obviously no magic solution to efface by a single stroke the ex¡sting complicated and inter-con19

I

lr

tl

way in which the IPDC has so far evolved.

The two meetings of the lnter-governmental Council (Paris, June 1981, and

nected web of commun¡cat¡on Problems."

IPDC First Should Assess Needs UNESCO's lnternational Program for

the DeveloPment of

al fund. Pressure has come from

Don't Just Cut Cake lnto Th¡nner Slices

This will take time; iÎ must take full account of existing multilateral and bilateral aid channels to avoid wasteful overlapon ping or duplication; a

spec own individual ple, ñeed

Experience teaches that the proliferation of international funds does nol result in any significant increase in the total

to ich Y drawing

hat tech-

for examifYing their

assessing how far these can be given greater priority at the expense of their other development needs.

Communication should be of universal benefit, not simply for governments or an educated elite. lt ¡s therefore important to

decide wherher internal needs outweigh international ones. Urban and rural communilies need to be able to comprehend one another's problems Ethnic minorities within nations ought not to be disadvantaged in communication terms. These just as crucial to national develn"ãd" opment"t"as providing the capacity for nation to speak to nation. We would hope that the IPDC can advise on matters of this kind.

We are delighted that such a similar exercise is already under way in the Commonwealth lt was agrêed bY Common-

wealth heads of government at Melbourne in October 1981 and has developed into a comprehensive program

for media developmenr agreed on at

a

seminar of government and media representat¡ves in London in March. The result of their work should also prove of value in the broader UNESCO context The major handicap for the IPDC is the lack of international confidence in its parent body, UNESCO, which flows PartlY from ils handling of communication ISSUES.

The IPDC needs 10 Prove that ¡t can stand aside from political controversy

This can only be achieved by demonstrating a proper understanding of develop-

mènt realities. Aid resources are finite, particularly when tight constra¡nts are

being placed on public expenditure levels in mány industrialized countries. The dis-

tribution of aid can only proceed at a speed compatible with the prevailing giobal economic climate. Only a slow and measured approach can ensure the most effective use of available resources.

We have been disaPPointed at

20

the

prospective beneficiaries, who feel that the IPDC must operate a substantial aid program on its own account, independent of member governments We never saw the IPDC as a fund in its own right. We are opposed, in principle, to the creation of new financial institutions within the U.N. syslem'

communication needs in context We see the IPDC's first task as assessing the most basic communication gaps in the poorest developing countries, in both the public and private sectors.

up shopping li nology has to

offers in kind by the industrialized nations This prompted an unfortunate and fruit-

less return To the sterile rhetoric now

expected whenever

Communication

(IPDC), established at the General Conference in Belgrade in 198O, ought to be the mechanism for producing an orderly and

of the private seclor s Prospective aid re assess their detailed requires rather

Third Worldl in lerms of hard cash or

the

resources available; it s¡mply means that the available cake is cut inlo thinner slices Money which ought to be used for development projects is diverted into meeting staff salaries and administration costs,

without any guaranlee of cosl-effectìveness This siluation is unsalisfactory for

communication issues are discussed at UNESCO ln short, IPDC d¡d not take the practicâl direction we hoped

Broader View ls Needed The IPDC was never intended as an exclusive or even a major channel for the

disbursement of aid funds. lts relative success or failure cannot be judged on these grounds alone The next meeting late this year in Paris ought to take stock

of the limited progress achieved

We

earnestly hope that this will lead to a re-

evaluation of the IPDC's fundamental objectives.

Simply because we have not contributed to the IPDC does not mean that we are opposed to communication development. The British government's aid policy is clear. We do not operate on a sectoral basis or make advance commitments lo reserve funds solely for communication projects. But within our bilaleral aid program,'we will always consider supporting

suitable projecrs in the communication

both donor and beneficiarY. There are many multilateral aid bodies both inside and outside the U.N , e.g , the United Nations Development Program and the World Bank Group, which are already active in the communication sector We prefer to see these sources of finance used, 1o which Britain contr¡bules substanl¡ally, rather than pay into any new IPDC special account. This was the basis of our reply to UNESCO director-general's

field, provided they are given high priority

appeal.

and bilateral aid for communication has been low, between 1 percent and 3 percent of the whole. Nonetheless, Britain's

Acapulco was unsatisfactory in other ways. Having established an IPDC fund, but having no indication of likely responses, UNESCO had invited bids for projects which might be supported, and these were considered at the meet¡ng Since no qualifying criteria h a d been

established in advance, there was a long list, very wide-ranging ¡n content and cost levels. National, regional and sub-regional

projects, particularly concerning news

agency development, and short-term consirltancies, amounted to around $ 1oO million.

It was clear from the outsel that pledg-

ed finance would cover onlY about 5 percent of projects submitted The final

result reflected a desire by the Council to

try to be fair to everybody Funds were

spread between all geographical regions.

There was no real attempt to def¡ne prior¡t¡es, ahhough there was very little supporting evidence available to the Council to help them decide Th¡s demonstrales the need for a proper professional evaluation of all communication projects, wheth-

er funded by the IPDC or other means,

which is somelhing which lies outside the competence of UNESCO alone At Acapulco, government representatlves pronounced on projects which were to be carried out by governments or government agencies. No provision was made for a multiplicity of choice of media.

The inherent dangers in this approach became all too apparent The degree of support for the IPDC was judged by the

by the recipient countries.

lf, as a result of the work of the IPDC and other related aclivities, the signifi-

cance of communication is advanced in overall development planning, we can expect th¡s sector to feature more prominently in future requests for assistance.

This is the challenge for developing natrons

The percentage of both multilateral

aid over the last four years

includes expenditure of over 3O million pounds on capital and technical co-operation

projects, in addition to the provision of

633 train¡ng places in Britain. A

major

portion was spent on the lnd¡an Ocean Submarine Cable, linking lndia and Malaysia and the countries bordering the Pacific, and closing one of the last gaps in the global telecommunications network.

Full credit must also be given to aid from private sector sources.

Many media professionals from developing nations have already benefited from partic¡pation in training schemes and fellowships in Britain organized by non-gov-

ernmental bodies The Commonwealth Press Unicn, the Thomson Foundation, the BBC and the National Broadcasting 1o quote some examPles School - much valuable work. Our hope have done

IPDC will acknowledge their contribution and seek methods of maximizing the opportun¡ties which co-operat¡on with the private sector can present.

Successful communication development is more than the acquisition of

is that the

equipment and expertise. The polirical atmosphere also needs to be favorable.

Governments must be willing to tolerate a plurality of opinions and allow these full expression in the media The greatest impediment to change in international

communication is the failure of many of

them to acknowledge this

"1

A good catch in Kiwiland Former FCC member Bill Challis

now lives in retirement on the shores of Lake Wakatipu in the scenic South lsland of New Zealand. The former Kiwi diplomat [High Commissioner in Hongkong, ambassador in lndia, ln-

donesia and elsewhere in the region] sends me the above photograph to illustrate some of the things he finds at the bottom of his garden. Anticipating the wrath of feminist Club members who may consider this sexist, the editor points out that there were no protests from male members when the delectable Murray Sayle appeared in a similar state of dress in a previous issue.

Challis is in partnership with another former Hongkong resident who will be well-remémbered by many Older Hands, former police Chief Superinrendent Roy

Moss. They ru n trout fishing safaris out on the gentle waters of the 56-mile-long lake.

Award for Kayser The founder-ediror of TEXTILE

ASIA, the regional business monthly published from Hong

Kong has received an award of the Textile lnstitute of Manchester, an international professional body with members in more than 10O countries.

Mr.

Kayser Sung, Editor-inChief of TEXTTLE AStA and Managing Director of the publishers, Business Press Ltd, has been awarded the lnstitute's medal in recognition of h is outstanding contributions to the textile industry of Asia.

It is the first time that a journalist has received this honour from the Textile lnsrirure in the 73 years of its history. A spokesman for Business Press Ltd said ln Hong Kong: "The President of

the lnstitute, Dr. John

McPhee

conferred the medal on Mr. Sung at the Annual Convocation Ceremony held in Manchester on December 1 3. Mr. Sung thus joins a distinguished array of personalities from the world textile

community, stretch¡ng back several decades,

who have

re-

ceived similar awards".

ln 1964 Mr. Sung won the Ramon Magsaysay Ãward for

vance," according to the spokesman. Thus Mr. Sung becomes the first Magsaysay Award winner to be honoured by the Textile lnstitute.

He has been a journalist for the past 42 years, and for nearly 25 years has devoted most of his

time to textile journalism. ln 1969, after completing his term

as Managing Editor of the

Far

Eastern Economic Review, Mr.

Sung launched Textile Asia.

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Tel,5-778026 21

(Continued from Page 1 ) today; when I look at one of the commercials we made back in 1972, and we thought ¡t was pretly hot at the time, I am 1

staggered at how far we have come, in tecñnique, in talent, in lighting, in all execution aspects. We have witnessed a social revolution, bringing with it a

dramatic change in consumer habits, that has demanded fast and flexible development ¡n both marketing and advertising to the Hong Kong Consumer. The traditional Chinese family influence has lessened, as the young have grown uP, married and

moved into their own accommodation,

breaking with familial links and developing new and individual living and purchasing

habits We have seen an exPlosion of youth and ils resultant demands

fast-foods - activities leisure

f¿5f¡i6¡

-kets

¡¡¡51ç

supermar-

sports

travel - department stores.procession of lnternational A veritable companies have moved into Hong Kong to market their products, and an even greater number of Chinese companies

have mushroomed here to satisfy lhe fast growing needs of an increasingly affluent

ãnd discerning cuslomer. All of this has created an ever-growing need for more,

and better advertising Today there are 5 3 million people in Hong Kong, living ìn 1.4 million households ln 997 the popu'1

latìon will have grown to an est¡mated 6.8 million, an increase of 28o/o, and households will rise by no less than 5Oo/o fo 2 1 mrllion As our economy grcws, more and more of these consumers will broaden their needs and desires for an ever increasing range of products and services

The advertising ¡ndustry must develop and grow in order to adequately satisfy

these needs and desires Should we live in fear that China looks upon advertising as some ev¡l western and count our days of propaganda tool - only 13 years to l¡ve existence as having

ore extinction? Absolutely notl As most of you are aware, advertising is not I personally, someth¡ng new to China camhave been involved in advertising paigns in the P.R,C. for five different u5i¡g clients over the past 7 years television, press, radio, outdoor- posters and major sponsored sporting events.

No! Rather than being the prophet of

decade I believe we must take a close look at ourselves and endeavour to avoid, at whatever cost, the complacent belief that we are all doing a fine job and that

there is little room for improvement

Whilst vigorously subscribing to the need for adveriising to play a vìtal role in the marketing of products and services Whilst understanding the basic require-

held belief that far too many of the international agencies, not just here ln Hong Kong but in the major world markets as well, have tended in recent years to lose sight of what our industry is all about Creating ads vÁtcttrlc GREAT ADS - positive action that make consumers take ¡¡¿(¡¡g ads that stand out from their

-environmént

making ads that

give

individual personalproducts distinctlve, ities

in essence

making ads that are

truly- creative: ldo- not want to

hear

people saying that is a Saatchi Ad, or

a

or an O & M ad, but - a hell of an ad That's rather No -responsible advertising man would advocate taking risks with a client's prod-

Thomson ad

uct or reputation. Advertising must truthful and it must be in good taste

be

but, above all, it absolutely must be creaexpensive, good employing t¡ve. lt is no

heavyweight creative people, and then putting blìnkers on them and tying their i'rands- behìnd their backs, stifling what creativity they have wìth iron-clad briefs which virtually spell out what the ads should say Agencies must develop an environment in which true creativity can blossom, in which the many truly talented

writers

an

d artists who are

currently

struggling 1o create fresh, noticeable ads in Hóñg (ong, can develop to the l¡mits of

bef

the¡r ability

doom, I look towards the next thìrteen years as years of exciting development and growth, and the next th¡rteen years after that, providing that the world does not follow the biblical forecast and de-

calendar I believe that all of us who live in this virile, expanding community should try to stop looking over our shoulders in fear and trepidation, and slart, w¡th enthusiasm, and above all, with conf¡dence, building yet another era of extraordinary growth. My own enthusiasm is encapsulated in this badge which I have had my

stroy ¡tself by fire at the turn of

lf we can make great Ads for great products and services in Hong Kong, and go on doing it through the next 13 years, ì ggZ w¡lt become just another date in our

Hong Kong, company design for me Here to stay Here today t '

the

century. lf I did not genuinely believe in Hong Kong as a truly viable business

-

community borh in the short and the long term, I most certa¡nly would not have

committed mYself or the Saatchi & Saatchi Company to the expenditure and a full service advertising agency in Hong Kong at this apocalyptic time

N!

effort of cleveloping

Thê ¡ddEs k:

I Forcign Compondcnls' Club | 2 l-wã Albãt Rod | (Coær of llyndhem Stct, I OH Daú Fm Building) ; TebphoncS-2ll5ll I I

FI 22

Smelling a rat...

As the Year of the Pig drew to a close, the South China Morning Post decided to welcome the new lunar year with a Picture of the incoming Rat. Find a good spec¡men of the

King of the Rodents for tomorrow's front page, the news desk was asked. Nice and sleek, with big teeth.

No problem, they thought, in

a

city where rats are said to out-

number humans and rival cats for stze.

Alas, several hours and many phone calls later the paPer had to

settle for

a

petrif

ied, two-inch

mouse.

"lt was

very difficult," confessed the paper s chief photographer, Chan Kiu, veteran of riots and typhoons. "l had to put on a close-up lense. The mouse was the size of my thumb. And it kePt jumPing up and down."

The problem was that the

pest-f ighters had alreadY empt¡ed their traps when the SCM Post called. And superstition had come ¡nto play: no-one likes to have a dead rat around their home so close to new Year.

The Urban Services Department took pity on the PaPer and said they knew the location of a mouse caught in the New Territories. The result is below: Some King. Some rodent...

city's

Sarah Monks

aweelß ...for less th N*..'

egular return air fare.

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