ఇంగ్లీషు జర్నలిజంలో తొలి తెలుగు వెలుగు
183
VII
The Madras Government and the Press (Editorial - People's Friend, 25th February 1888)
About 30 years ago, Sir Charles Trevelyan, then the Governor of this Presidency, with the true instincts of the statesman, introduced, for the first time, the system, which gave the local press all information hitherto kept as secret in the Archives of the Secretariat, which information had nothing of a confidential character in it, but when laid on the Editors' Table would invite public discussion and criticism and thereby help the government in the solution of problems connected with the advancement and interest of the country over which he ruled. There was a novelty in the system which was repugnant to the stereotyped ideas of red tapism prior to his Governorship and the innovation was not favourably received at first by those who were supposed to be his advisors and guides. But Charles was an experienced civilian previous to his taking up the responsibilities of a Governor, and had made his mark in the Indian official world for justness, liberality and comprehensiveness for surpassing any of his contemporaries his independence of spirit completely (.....) the exclusiveness and the conservative (.....) idiocrity which then prevailed in the secretariat. He hardly assumed charge when important state documents and even minutes were sent to the local press. His example was followed for a long time by his successors until the sectarian spirit insidiously crept in and developed itself under the Grant Duff Rule when the frequent complaint was that the Editors' Table was supplied with dry bones; scarcely a dainty morsel appeared, with the exception of few Administration Reports, the local press had literally nothing, and what was known as the proceedings of our rulers was either surreptitiously obtained or acquired from the talk of the club or the bazaar news of the town. The rule laid down was that all Administration Reports and District Manuals and other useful information, not of a confidential character, should be supplied to the local press and a list was made of the Newspapers and among them the People's Friend shared for a time the honors. This rule secured all Reports to local journalism and provided the requisite material for criticism, advice and suggestions.
