Journalists in Britain have been affected pretty badly by the war. There is no work for the big corps of sports writers maintained by every paper in peace time, and theatre and film critics have nothing to criticise. The local correspondent, who paid his rent by recording a "breeze" at the Town Council or a Circuit Court witticism, now finds his once interesting news displaced by war despatches from Warsaw, Berlin and Paris.
Irish journalists also are affected, though to a lesser extent. Correspondents of cross-Channel papers tell me their editors are showing less interest in Irish news, which means reduced incomes for many. One friend thought it wise to seek alternative work and bethought himself of the new censorship.
But it seems there is no hope for journalists or anybody else in that quarter. The Office of the Controller of Censorship informed my friend that:
"The Censorship Organisation is being staffed by persons who are already serving in the Defence Forces or employed in the Civil Service, and it is unlikely that it will be necessary to recruit personnel from outside the Services."
The Irish Times, September 14th, 1939.