Woman Cyclist Killed...

[scouserinlondon]

that looks like a very fast bit of road.

 

[Aperitif]

The A41 is one of London's racetracks to centreville. I join it a bit further down where bus lanes offer sanctuary, but it is getting more aggressive it seems...it could be just me but I do ride a lot in traffic and...
So I try and take a bit more notice of things.

 

[Riding in Circles]

Apparently her bike collided with a black Audi, according to another piece in the same rag.

Dreadful reporting pointing blame at the victim without waiting for the facts.

 

[downfader]

http://www.times-series.co.uk/news/8120699.Man_arrested_after_cyclist_death/

I really think articles should be written as "in collision with" rather than "collided with" as the latter assumes the victim was either the cause or at fault.

 

[Aperitif]

Following the comments here, I wrote to the Group Editor of the Times series, asking her to view this thread. It may be appropriate for her to reply, but here's what I wrote anyway.
Be careful out there!

FAO Ms R. Sharp - Group Editor

Hello Rachel,
Not sure if you are the right person to direct a mail to regarding this sad event but it 'points up' one or two aspects of the Times -Series reporting style.

I contribute to a cycling forum which has many incidents of this nature 'flagged' and often, the reportage we are able to read from journals like yours presents an odd scenario. Well, odd to us ordinary cyclists perhaps, who are regularly challenged by faster, bigger and better covered citizens trying to get to work.

Read this short thread and see how others feel - it may be a pointer to addressing the 'cyclist v motor vehicle' events in a more sympathetic fashion.

https://www.cyclechat.net/

Do you have a particular policy on how such tragedies are worded?

Obviously, we know nothing of the exact details, but offer our sympathies to the bereaved family at this time.

 

[ComedyPilot]

First paragraph: "MOTORISTS are facing delays in Stanmore after an accident involving a cyclist earlier this morning."

Glad to see MOTORISTS in bold and 'cyclist' minimalised.


Edit: just read other people spotted it.


RIP to the VICTIM.

 

[downfader]

Following the comments here, I wrote to the Group Editor of the Times series, asking her to view this thread. It may be appropriate for her to reply, but here's what I wrote anyway.
Be careful out there!

FAO Ms R. Sharp - Group Editor

Hello Rachel,
Not sure if you are the right person to direct a mail to regarding this sad event but it 'points up' one or two aspects of the Times -Series reporting style.

I contribute to a cycling forum which has many incidents of this nature 'flagged' and often, the reportage we are able to read from journals like yours presents an odd scenario. Well, odd to us ordinary cyclists perhaps, who are regularly challenged by faster, bigger and better covered citizens trying to get to work.

Read this short thread and see how others feel - it may be a pointer to addressing the 'cyclist v motor vehicle' events in a more sympathetic fashion.

https://www.cyclechat.net/

Do you have a particular policy on how such tragedies are worded?

Obviously, we know nothing of the exact details, but offer our sympathies to the bereaved family at this time.

I wrote a similar email to my local paper (same publisher in fact) over wording of collision articles... not just about cyclists but in general. I think that traffic reports have to represent directions to road users and can omit who and just say why..

eg instead of saying "two cars are blocking the road yadda yadda" it becomes "road closed due to road traffic collision"

Now I would say that the reporting of accidents, deaths and injuries is slightly different. A well worded article, even in a local paper, can have an impact on how people behave if it represents some human interest. ThisisLondon has begun this with the way they are inteviewing the families of RTCs. It makes people think. They see the families, the scenario, how it could happen and sometimes how it can be avoided.

Obviously life can be much more complicated than just that.

 

[fossyant]

Terrible.....RIP

 

[davidg]

RIP

but get over it on the tone of the article. It's no different to "3 people died on M4 collision near J5 and motorway is closed". Would you be going on about the motorist then? Just because it is a cyclist, doesn't mean they cant report the traffic

 

[ComedyPilot]

The article reads: Motorists held up due to cyclist's death.

All for reporting the traffic, but the victim had a family/friends that have to read that turgid cr*p.

 

[Aperitif]

Sure, 'get over it' David - but it is a point of view as expressed on here, The Cycling Forum - not general news etc. Of course no-one wants injury or death, but when necessary, a degree of objectivity needs to apply, and that needs to perhaps reassure.

 

[Aperitif]

http://www.times-series.co.uk/news/topstories/8121092.Driver_arrested_over_fatal_crash/

Latest news from this tragedy...

 

[e-rider]

RIP

 

[Aperitif]

Sorry about the delay in getting this reply posted - had a break in at work today and it has thrown me 'off course' a bit...anyway, the reply from Rachel Sharp:

Dear Martin,

Thank you for your email. I have had a look at the thread, and I am not sure
where the stories have come from on the www.thisislocallondon.co.uk website.

It is one of Newsquest's websites, but the stories are usually fed in from
other local sites. However, it doesn't appear to be taken from the stories
on my newspapers website www.times-series.co.uk


If you look at the stories on my website, they don't appear to be the same.
Although we too mention the traffic issues. But the story on the thread
mentions an 'accident' - and my reporters know they should not write this.
If you use the word 'accident' - it implies nobody is to blame. In the case,
it seems somebody was to blame for the awful crash that killed the female
cyclist

The stories my newspaper has done are the following:

http://www.times-series.co.uk/news/topstories/8119706.Road_closed_after_cras
h_involving_cyclist_this_morning/

This was the first story when our reporters only just had news of an
incident. It is simply a short piece with the sparse details police had
given us, including details of traffic. Readers usually want to know what
has happened on the roads if there are very long delays, and this is what we
reported.

The second story was when police confirmed to my reporters that the lady
cyclist had died:

http://www.times-series.co.uk/news/topstories/8119835.Cyclist_pronounced_dea
d_after_crash_this_morning/

And the third story was when a man was arrested following the crash

http://www.times-series.co.uk/news/topstories/8120699.Man_arrested_after_cyc
list_death/

I notice on the forum people seem to be upset if a newspaper reports the
traffic situation following a crash. We do, of course, mention the traffic
issue to inform our readers which roads to avoid. In this case, the road was
closed for five hours, so of course as a local newspaper we would tell our
readers about this.

I hope this helps

Yours sincerely

Rachel Sharp

As tundragumski says, RIP

 

[Origamist]

http://www.thisislondon.co.uk/stand...s-as-seventh-cyclist-dies-on-londons-roads.do