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http://www.etatrust.org.uk/2012/11/why-does-the-media-have-a-morbid-fascination-withcycling/
As The Times announces this week that it is to fund a report into why more people do not cycle, might it be that the newspapers own campaign to improve road conditions for urban cyclists is both a hindrance as well as a help? Cycling infrastructure is the nuts and bolts of a bicycle-friendly city. Well-designed roads and frequently-maintained cycling facilities are a joy to use and have been shown to encourage people to embrace life on two wheels. However, when it comes to reasons why people dont cycle, the absence of good infrastructure pales in comparison to the commonly-held belief that cycling is a hazardous activity.
Coverage in The Times this week By its own admission, the Times was prompted to start a cycling safety campaign on a personal basis; following a serious road traffic collision between a lorry and the bicycle ridden by Times correspondent Mary Bowers, the paper launched Cities Fit for Cycling. The initiative was no a flimsy, knee-jerk reaction. Following
consultations with cycling organisations and safety campaigners the paper issued the following manifesto:
all three major parties have pledged support, tens of thousands have signed a petition and the story continues to enjoy unprecedented levels of newspaper coverage. And theres the rub. The alarmist headlines that accompany the coverage risk reinforcing the fear that stops people taking to two wheels in the first place. Of even greater concern is the possibility that newspaper articles in which the tiny statistical risk of being killed on a bicycle is over-played become a self-fulfilling prophecy. The greater the number of cyclists on the roads on bicycles, the safer it becomes. Only this week, The Times newspapers coverage of the campaign makes a rather surreal and unhelpful comparison between the number of British soldiers killed and injured in Afghanistan and cyclists killed on our roads.
road layouts is changing minds. The coverage doesnt have to evangelical. In fact, any tone other than morbid would be a relief The portrayal of all cyclists as lycra louts is lazy not every car driver is a boy racer Portraying road danger as something that affects only cyclists reinforces the notion that cycling is too risky to be considered a viable alternative to taking the car, bus or train. Please stop doing this. Why does the media have a skewed view of cycling? What would you add to our media manifesto?