NZ press freedom advocate wins Astor Award

Gavin Ellis

Former New Zealand Herald editor-in-chief Gavin Ellis has won a Commonwealth press award in Sydney.

Mr Ellis received the Astor Award at the close of the Commonwealth Press Union conference.

The award is made for contribution to press freedom or service to the newspaper industry.

The CPU said Mr Ellis' commitment to press freedom was widely acknowledged and documented.

Mr Ellis left the Herald in December after 32 years to study for a doctorate at Auckland University.

On departing, he said freedom of expression was a right that must be "jealously guarded".

Mr Ellis is the retiring chairman of the NZ branch of the CPU.

Meanwhile, NZ Press Council chairman Sir John Jeffries is not optimistic about the issue of personal privacy versus press freedom.

He told the Sydney conference that, judging by events of the past 10 years, his instinct was that antagonism would grow on the issue of personal privacy versus the press.

"Privacy as a concept has firmly established itself, but can it withstand the force of a press that acts to inform people almost without restraint?" he asked.

Sir John said the Privacy Act gave protection about storage and security of personal data, "but that does not solve exposure and humiliation by the press ... "

- NZPA