BIKE: Statesman Editorial: Cyclists: Be Careful

[Michael Bluejay]

On Oct 4, 2004, at 8:54 AM, A. Gelfand wrote:

> My problem isn't so much on the letter but on lopsided coverage by the 
> Statesman, which, I recall, has yet to publish the big story on why 
> bicycling is legitimate transportation and why cyclists deserve as 
> much courtesy on the road as other vehicle operators.

Then why write about the letter and cite it as the problem?

This whole thread started by claiming bias in a "Statesman Editorial".  
But it wasn't an editorial by the Statesman, it was a letter to the 
editor.  We can't blame the Statesman for what their readers submit.

As for doing a "big story" on why cyclists deserve courtesy, that's 
hardly news, and definitely not the kind of thing you expect to see a 
daily newspaper covering.  Maybe in an editorial, but certainly not in 
a story.

I'm probably the mother of all critics of bicycle coverage in the 
Statesman but even to me all this seems like barking up the wrong tree. 
  The Statesman simply published a letter to the editor -- which, I 
might add, expressed a perfectly legitimate viewpoint that many 
cyclists on this list agree with, including myself.  And I certainly 
don't expect the Statesman to cover "courtesy" to cyclists.  There are 
a number of ways the Statesman could improve its reporting on cycling 
issues, but these are not some of them.

For more detailed criticism of the Statesman's bicycle reporting see:

	BicycleAustin.info >> Political/Legal >> Media Criticism

-MBJ-
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