BBC Look East - "run em down"

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HJ

Cycling in Scotland
Location
Auld Reekie
What is it with the BBC which make them so Pro car and anti bike?? What ever happened to Inform, Educate and Entertain?
 

downfader

extimus uero philosophus
Location
'ampsheeeer
BBC Look East on cyclist who was rear ended

Carton Reid, many of you will know, has been reporting on issues that affect cyclists for sometime, both on his many websites and within youtube video.


View: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9UiWji4osR0


The original video can be found HERE

I'm getting so sick of the media failing to address the myths around cyclists and constantly banging on about the bad cyclists when the real issue here is MPJ who was hit that I have written the following email to Look East:

I have had this brought to my attention as a keen cyclist that you recently did an interview with Paul Jones the cyclist after he was rear ended by a driver. I have subsequently seen the video in question on your website.

Firstly can I ask why no castigation of those who moan about "road tax"? Drivers pay for the pollution their vehicle causes under the Statutes agreed within the licence. Why was this not addressed within the show to help educate people (something I feel the News corporations have an obligation to do under reason of logic)? Failure to do so merely increases animosity between cyclists and motorists.

Yes, we cyclists are well aware of the bad cyclists. However, raising this point on news items where the victim has done nothing wrong merely serves to reflect all cyclists in a bad and unfavourable light, adding to that no news item ever does this with drivers. We need balance, not something that says "isn't this bad" followed by "all cyclists run red lights" (which government approved research suggests is incorrect).

Secondly you mention that cycle helmets "save lives". Can you point to empirical evidence in your show to prove this? I have read various documents and research over the years and I have to say that even the BMA is pretty 50:50 on this. Given the poor testing standards with regards helmets in Europe, and that they are a) not designed with motor vehicle collision in mind and :ohmy: not even guaranteed by the helmet manufacturers I feel it would have been better to not mention an unproven statement reflecting protection and instead reflect on something more positive about cycling.

Thank you, I hope you take this seriously!

Yes I know its largely a rant but I felt I needed to get it out of my system. I think the media does have obligations and they've failed here imo. They've painted a picture of cycling as largely negative and had I been the cycle shop owner I might have booted them out of the door.
 

gaz

Cycle Camera TV
Location
South Croydon
Saw carltons video this morning and mpj's the othe day.
The way the media don't even try to educate people is disgusting and feeding fuel into the fire. Some cyclists do break the law and 99 times out of 100 they are putting themselfs in harmsway and no one else
 

Tinuts

Wham Bam Helmet Cam
Location
London, UK.
Please post the relevant BBC email address. I (and perhaps some other CC'ers) would like to join you in sending in an opinion on their program!
 

HJ

Cycling in Scotland
Location
Auld Reekie
Tinuts said:
Please post the relevant BBC email address. I (and perhaps some other CC'ers) would like to join you in sending in an opinion on their program!

Here's the contact details for BBC Look East, if you want to get in touch:

CONTACT US
Telephone: 08457 630630
E-mail: look.east@bbc.co.uk
BBC Look East
The Forum
Millennium Plain
Norwich
NR2 1BH

As well as emailing Look East may I suggest as many as possible make a formal complaint via the BBC complaints procedure (http://www.bbc.co.uk/complaints/homepage/).
 

downfader

extimus uero philosophus
Location
'ampsheeeer
ianrauk said:
Peeps, have merged the 2 threads into this one.

Thanks! I did look earlier but I guess threadtitles can be misleading:biggrin:

I'm glad I'm not the only one to have emailed in. HJ - you beat me to it! As did Goose
 
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