Sir Walter Monckton, Director General of the Ministry

This broadcast by Sir Walter Monckton aims to reassure the British public that, unlike Hitler's Germany, the British Ministry of Information deals with truth and not propaganda. He goes on to explain, however, that sometimes the release of certain information is delayed for security reasons. He also draws attention to the difference between the present war and World War I, explaining how, in this era of broadcasting, vulnerability to enemy interception is a new concern. Despite this, Monckton reiterates that the importance of truth is paramount.

Despite Lord Reith's agreement with the Cabinet in 1939, the Ministry of Information and the BBC often disagreed over what should be reported, resulting in the resignation of Director General Frederick Ogilvie in 1942. The tricky relationship between the BBC and the Ministry got off to a difficult start caused by the propagandist broadcasts of William Joyce, aka Lord Haw-Haw. Censorship by the Ministry thwarted one of Frank Gillard's reports about a failed assault at Dieppe in 1942 that resulted in heavy loss of life, and it almost prevented Richard Dimbleby's report from Belsen, one of the first to inform the world about the horrors of the Holocaust. However, the war established the BBC's reputation for integrity and resilience in the face of adversity.