PZ 7705/39 'Egypt: British Embassy measures to influence Arabic press' [‎8r] (15/38)

aftrvicee to bo rocogniood, If not noceuaorily In ce«h f then
in kind (o.g. ho^pitolity# odvortXKing, •ufeaoriptl no).
It lo troditiv'7n«l, fon instance, fo^ o Governor of a irovinoc,
on th« occasion of o roy^l or ministerial visit not only to
entertain the repreaentativea of the Fraaa but clao to give
them a gratuity in ceah* Service* I'endcrr d by arrangement
do not feature in this oatogory, but the custom in qu^ation
might bo deeerib^d in th^ worde of a leading newspaper
proprietor to the writer The lowest of the four classes into which East India Company civil servants were divided. A Writer’s duties originally consisted mostly of copying documents and book-keeping. , '’ l** -v^tite m ;nn^J L<^ des r?-lotions
:aondRines%
(a) I would suggest that an official dealing with the
Press should eliminate from his vocabulary the word
‘•bribery*. It 1© no r.or** reprehensible for a newspaper
proprietor to lesse his editorial columns for the
presentation of a politic*! icau^ in e favourable light
then to acoept ^ayrarnt for the use of his advert icing
space to cry the virtues of a patent «ec!ioine. he
subconscious u*?e of the word "honorarium*' confers u,>on
a fi iuncial trsnsmotion s dignity which cannot fail to
react favourably on th<* mutusi r* lotions of the giver »nd
the recipient. On the other hand, it is fre( uentiy
advisable not to reveal the fact that the "sweetener"
emanfstos from Oovernment funds and it is there ore neoosfcary
to devise various eyosciebts to effect payment through a
third party.
The bourses of revenue of the gyptian or©
(a) advertisements, (b) subsidies, (o) news, and it is that;
perfectly logical tha^ influence or control should br operated
through se channels. There is another factor in warti^t
rruaely Tenaorehip.
^dvert is© ; ne n ts •
In countries un ier a totalitarian regime wh« re
commercial enterpriao is » uP j cted to rif orou^ .ovem v nt
control it woul : bo possible to induce oom ^ rcinl » dve t i ers