Peking Protest

Presidential Press Secretary Ronald Ziegler was bound to be criticized no matter how he selected the 87-mem-ber press party to accompany Richard Nixon to China. After all, there had been 2,000 applications. But when the list was announced last week,* correspondents complained that Ziegler had violated his pledge that preference would be given to news organizations that regularly cover the White House.

To his credit, Ziegler sought the widest possible audience in selecting 24 newspaper correspondents who represent 119 dailies. But he gave spots to Columnists William Buckley, Joseph Kraft and Richard Wilson, who presumably could analyze just as well from afar. He also awarded one place to the Reader's Digest, which has cordial relations with Nixon but neither covers the White House regularly nor is truly in the news business. The White House Correspondents Association protested the exclusion of four newspapers and radio chains that staff the White House full time.

There were also protests about giving 43 of the 87 places to broadcasters. The press secretary replied that "broadcast journalism requires more people." Then it turned out that of the 17 television "technicians" on the list, twelve are actually news executives from the three major networks. It seemed questionable that one vice president or executive producer was needed to supervise the work of each of the twelve network correspondents. It may also be that from the White House viewpoint, the historic journey will provide far more sight and sound than substance. Ziegler told UPl's Helen Thomas: "After all, it is a picture story."

* Time Inc. has three places. White House Correspondent Jerrold Schecter will cover the trip for TIME, Washington Bureau Chief Hugh Sidey for LIFE and LIFE Photographer John Dominis will represent both magazines.

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