THE POWER OF THE PEN - Continuing biog of Crusading Editor ,"Big Jim" Bowditch .

There is no doubt that  Bowditch enjoyed   writing editorials .  He drew  much  of his  inspiration  for  them   from  the  British  Labour newspaper  The Daily  Mirror  which  arrived  in Darwin  in its  weekly   overseas  edition  bound- in  volume  with  its  distinctive yellow  covers. 

 

 

Usually, Jim ,left , started  his  working day knowing  exactly what he  intended  to  write  in  the  NT News  editorial.  However, the editorial was normally the  last thing he wrote.  He  explained his approach  to  the job  : " As editor, you  are thinking  about  how you are going to fill  the  paper and  meet  a deadline.  I think it is a very satisfying  business  and  an exhausting one .  Because  of its demands , we  all  make mistakes, sometimes  bad  ones.  I  write  best  when  my  back  is  to the wall  and under great pressure.  I can crystallise things under  pressure , the  same as  a  soldier.  Under  pressure, I  wrote a lot  of  readable editorials , some  of  which caused  certain  things   to  happen."

 Of  the  many stirring editorials he  wrote during  his  time , he nominated  one written as  a  result of  the  assassination of  Martin Luther  King  as  his  favourite.  It  read:

There are some men  who  by the example  of their  lives and an almost indefinable greatness   of  character  reach  the  hearts  of  people  in the furthermost  corner of  the earth .When such a man  dies violently, shock and sadness   touch millions  who have never  seen him, never been within  thousands of  miles  of  him.

John F. Kennedy   was  such a man , Martin Luther King another. The news of  Dr King’s  death today  has  swept  the  world, as  much as  his own country. Tears will have been shed   for him in every  land  and massive  rage  felt  against the cowardly  assassin responsible  for cutting down  a  man  who  steadfastly  preached  and practised the  code of  non- violence. It would  be  trite  to  extol  his virtues  here.

His massive strength , depth of  wisdom and  unfaltering  kindness   and gentleness  have long been accepted  by  the world, and recognised  with  the Nobel Peace Prize. It is reported that  America trembles now, fearing  the  murderer’s bullet  may trigger  such passionate  hatred  among  the  nation’s Negroes  that  near –civil-war   will  result.

This newspaper  believes , and  hopes, that such  was  the power  and  influence of Dr King  that  only madmen and  complete fools would desecrate  his  memory by  reacting  in a way so utterly foreign  to  the  doctrine  he lived  by , and asked all to  follow. We believe  that if the   millions now mourning , in their mounting anger, are reminded quickly  and properly of  Martin  Luther King’s aims, his  terrible death  could become  a weapon  to  further  his teachings, rather than  an excuse for his  violent  enemies  to  open   the way  to  racial  holocaust .

Violent reaction would mean that  all his  work and efforts had failed  and his death been in  vain. It may be as well for those who see his death ,and America’s shocking  racial  upheaval generally, as a sign  that nothing is right  with that land , to remember that these are the tribulations of a democracy. They are part of  the price we pay for "freedoms", not  possible in countries  where  dictatorships  are  the order.

Martin Luther King  believed in freedoms… for all people-white as well as those who shared his  ebony skin color- and for whom he devoted his  whole  life. His death should not be used as  an opportunity to attack  the country he loved , the freedom  he extolled  and  the code  of non-violence  he constantly  preached.        

 

On the broader question of the role of a newspaper, Bowditch said he used  his papers  to educate the community about important  issues.  In  Alice Springs he had taken  up the  advancement of half-castes , especially in relation  to  voting and  citizenship .  While legislation   was  good to  an extent , in matters of  discrimination  there  had  to  be community  education to overcome  ingrained  attitudes.  Through his newspapers he said he  had  tried to  break down  the very bad widespread discrimination  against  and   attitude to Aboriginal people.

 

Although  the News ran many humorous stories during his editorship, Bowditch  did not see  a newspaper  as being  a  form of entertainment.  This was  made evident  in an  exchange Bowditch had with  adventurous  English journalist , Bob Hobman , who worked  at the  News from  l967-74, and  went on to organise   epic  Kon Tiki-like  raft and  outrigger  voyages  from  Indonesia  to   destinations  like  Darwin and   Madagascar .

 ONE  OF  THE   GREAT  EDITORS

One  night  Bowditch  asked  Hobman  what  he , deep down,  thought  about  newspapers .  Hobman  said he  regarded  newspapers  just  as   entertainment  for the masses. This  honest answer had not pleased  Bowditch. In Hobman’s words, emotionally expressed in the year 2001,  he said : " He  ( Jim )  never quite trusted  me  after  that, even  though  I  loved   him  then  and  love him still ."  Hobman said  he  had worked for only two great editors in  Australia  who clung  to  their ideals,  charisma  and  magical story-telling  techniques - Zell Rabin (Rabin will be covered in detail further in this biography )  and  Jim  Bowditch .
 

At the time of making  this statement , Hobman was planning no less than another three  raft  voyages.  Hobman deplored modern day  Darwin  and lamented the  situation where  many people  only remembered Bowditch as  a "drunken , shitty , little  Pommie " who achieved nothing .

 

 

All of what  Bowditch   had battled for during  his time  as editor of the NT  News   had  been  swept aside   by  modern ,  crowded  Darwin.Recalling  the  Bowditch era , Hobman  said  it  had  been  a" mad time " ...  "You  couldn’t  get  away with  any  of  it  in  these  sanitised  days ," he added.  Waxing lyrical  , Hobman  continued : " Maybe  it ( Darwin )  was a  big raft   upon  which  all  this  action  took  place  so  long  ago ."

 

Hobman  spoke  of occasions  when the editor, after consumption of liquor,  adopted the famous " Bowditch  crouch"  threatening to kill   people , including  members of  the  newspaper  staff.  Hobman observed that  a person so challenged   only had  to   wait a  short time and  the editor  would  collapse, mumbling ,  on  the  lawn .

 

Another journalist   who  thought he might have been the only  staffer not challenged  to a fight by  Bowditch  is  Dennis Booth .  Booth,  sports editor at  the NT News under Bowditch ,  revealed a "soft side" to   Jim.    While Bowditch  was  regarded as tough  and  took strong stands  against people and organisations, Booth  noted several  occasions which  showed he  was a gentle  person.  One  involved  the  loss  of a kitten  and Bowditch had  used masterful  language  to write  a  touching story . Booth  had  worked  with  great  newspaper men  in Australia  and   Hong Kong , including  Rohan Rivett , editor of the   Adelaide  News,  and  said  Bowditch  was  the best .   Once Bowditch was convinced a reporter  knew what he was doing and  was sure of his  facts, he would let him  have his head. NEXT:Bowditch in among the  action.