The (ir)responsibily of the Media

geomannie · Post by **geomannie** » 13 Nov 2018, 11:37am

A Scottish perspective
https://www.gobike.org/the-responsibili ... media-7006

https://twitter.com/GoBikeGlasgow/statu ... 77314?s=19

Cyril Haearn · Post by **Cyril Haearn** » 13 Nov 2018, 11:50am

Surely this is covered by hate-crime laws that forbid criticising certain groups

meic · Post by **meic** » 13 Nov 2018, 12:18pm

Cyclists are not on the list of "certain groups".

Bez · Post by **Bez** » 13 Nov 2018, 12:30pm

There are no “groups”. There are protected characteristics. Grouping people by protected characteristic is often the first step on the road to an offence under the law you’re talking about.

Cyril Haearn · Post by **Cyril Haearn** » 13 Nov 2018, 3:55pm

Society is evolving, developing, getting better

Many old comedy programmes are no longer shown because the 'jokes' would not be acceptable now

Soon this sort of nastiness shall be banned, hopes one earnestly

geomannie · Post by **geomannie** » 13 Nov 2018, 4:23pm

Cyril Haearn wrote:Society is evolving, developing, getting better

Many old comedy programmes are no longer shown because the 'jokes' would not be acceptable now

Soon this sort of nastiness shall be banned, hopes one earnestly

Just a note to those not in Scotland, The Herald on Sunday is considered by many to be the leading "liberal" Scottish Sunday paper. God help us if this is what they are publishing, not once but twice in quick succession, the 28th of October & 11th November 2018.

They never put the first article on line. Draw your own conclusions why this was.

donald.stewart.nj · Post by **donald.stewart.nj** » 13 Nov 2018, 4:48pm

Just a note to those not in Scotland, The Herald on Sunday is considered by many to be the leading "liberal" Scottish Sunday paper. God help us.[/quote]

Thanx for that

Cugel · Post by **Cugel** » 13 Nov 2018, 5:00pm

Cyril Haearn wrote:Society is evolving, developing, getting better

Many old comedy programmes are no longer shown because the 'jokes' would not be acceptable now

Soon this sort of nastiness shall be banned, hopes one earnestly

Society is certainly evolving (like all other organically-based stuff) but the notion that it's getting better is somewhat subjective. That would all depend on which society you're referring to and who your are.

For many, even in our blessed society of Blighty, some attitudes are getting worse. Ask those who have to go to food banks; those who are impoverished & degraded by every turn of the austerity screw; those who have to work on zero hours contracts for all the hours Providence sends; the great and increasing numbers of children below both the official poverty line and that even lower line where they are habitually abused and exploited ......

Of course, if one is still managing to cling to middle class socio-economic status, largely as a matter of luck and being a baby boomer, as I and perhaps you are, it is tempting to extrapolate one's own personal conditions to the country or even the world at large. There are many who will find various statistics to "prove" that, worldwide, people are better off. (See, for example, the recent Panglossies from Steven Pinker). But an increase in average income is far from a panacea to all ills. It's average. It includes the vast fortunes of the 0.1% as well as the groat-trickle of the billions. It takes no account of what some humans do with their increased incomes.

Meanwhile, various degradations continue; many primitive human urges are once more waxing rather than waning. The newspaper bile referenced in this thread is not so uncommon - is imbibed daily by a few million Hate-Mail readers, for example. It has effects on their tiny minds. I come across more & more intolerance and spite for all sorts these days, far more than a decade ago. Even if they feel a bit inhibited about bashing gays or gypsies, they will find some other group. Cyclists are one-such. There are many other pariahs and scapegoats.

Human history is circular, even if the accompanying history of technology is linear. We will remain a strange admix of devil & angel ... but the ever "better" technologies will enable us to amplify those traits more and more.

Cugel

Cyril Haearn · Post by **Cyril Haearn** » 13 Nov 2018, 5:30pm

Cugel is right, sort of, undistribution of wealth is a big problem. I am a kindly person but I am mostly interested in looking after myself, that is enough

I belong to many groups, not just cyclist, why, I drive so seldom that I enjoy it

reohn2 · Post by **reohn2** » 13 Nov 2018, 6:02pm

Cugel
Thanks for the overview which is unfortunately all too apparent in modern society's pathetic incarnation,fed by crapedia on a diet of the lowest common denominator.
The me,myself,I attitude is all too apparent in today's society along with the wealth worship of the prima donna beatiful(sic) people.
Meanwhile anyone who doesn't fit their desired mo(u)ld is a nobody fit only to be ridiculed and abused. :evil:

Cunobelin · Post by **Cunobelin** » 14 Nov 2018, 6:49am

I always put up a link to this The terrible journalists guide to writing an article about bicycles and simply ask if that was the inspiration.

Often opens the writer to some ridicule, and at least light hearted references to the link

Cugel · Post by **Cugel** » 14 Nov 2018, 11:09am

Cunobelin wrote:I always put up a link to this The terrible journalists guide to writing an article about bicycles and simply ask if that was the inspiration.

Often opens the writer to some ridicule, and at least light hearted references to the link

Hee hee - a good mocking job.

The experiences of my yoof, being persecuted by the local "hard lads", taught me that if you can't hit your way free of them the best approach is to mock them. You're going to get beat up anyway so you might as well do so with a good grace, a smile and a wicked riposte to their crude taunts and yells. The worst thing you can do is get hoity-toity about the unfairness of it all. It just encourages them (as seems to be the case with this "newspaper"). They hate to be laughed at.

Perhaps the link to this fine mockery of the sort of "journalist" who spews out these kinds of toxic gobs of bile could be posted en masse to the website forums or other public places of such "newspapers"?

Cugel

661-Pete · Post by **661-Pete** » 14 Nov 2018, 12:46pm

"Hate crime" or no, grossly insulting and likely to provoke hostile attacks on cyclists: that's always the danger when this sort of article gets exposure.

"Rab McNeil", eh? Sounds like a Scottish name, but hardly qualifies this idiot as a Scotsman. I'd call him no more than a Ned...

Cyril Haearn · Post by **Cyril Haearn** » 14 Nov 2018, 1:07pm

I like to mock myself, could anyone object to that? I am an idiot, not quite normal, but harmless. Other sorts of idiots are available (not harmless)

Journalist? Love or hate?

brooksby · Post by **brooksby** » 14 Nov 2018, 1:57pm

Rab McNeil's article claims that cyclists "cause cars to overtake into oncoming traffic." Really? I thought that it would be up to the driver to decide whether or not they think its safe to overtake, or do cyclists use some sort of mind trick on them??

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