Cyclist hits car - or car hits cyclist?

[G3CWI]

From our local rag's web page:

"A cyclist was injured during a collision with a car.
A 59-year-old man was crossing the roundabout joining the Silk Road and Bollington Road in Macclesfield when he collided with a black Mercedes at 8am this morning (Wednesday, September 14)."

The way this has been written makes it seem like the cyclist rode into the car. I have no idea what happened but I do wonder if the way language is used sometimes creates a false impression of events.

 

[Deleted member 26715]

to what aim?

 

[glasgowcyclist]

They did it yesterday on Radio Scotland when they interviewed someone from the Cyclists' Defence Fund regarding the private prosecution against Michael Mason's killer. The presenter stated "Cyclist Michael Mason collided with the car in Regent St", neatly distorting the true picture which was that the driver, Gail Purcell, drove straight into the back of Mr Mason.

You can hear it here, from 41m30s : http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b07syltw

GC

 

[sheddy]

News reports and Papers always write this way. Awful.
I guess that journalists have been trained do this, possibly some kind of litigation limitation?

 

[Spinney]

Complain. You won't get anywhere with articles already written, but if enough people complain maybe, just maybe, the odd hack may actually engage the odd brain cell before writing that yet another cyclist has collided with a car...

 

[G3CWI]

They did it yesterday on Radio Scotland

Let's listen and make a complaint:
http://www.bbc.co.uk/complaints/complain-online/

 

[glasgowcyclist]

Let's listen and make a complaint:
http://www.bbc.co.uk/complaints/complain-online/

The CDF spokesman does correct her on that point (at 43m00s) to which she responds, "Uh, okay". I'm pretty sure she didn't actually appreciate the distinction being made.

GC

 

[Deleted member 35268]

 

[Hacienda71]

From our local rag's web page:

"A cyclist was injured during a collision with a car.
A 59-year-old man was crossing the roundabout joining the Silk Road and Bollington Road in Macclesfield when he collided with a black Mercedes at 8am this morning (Wednesday, September 14)."

The way this has been written makes it seem like the cyclist rode into the car. I have no idea what happened but I do wonder if the way language is used sometimes creates a false impression of events.

Doesn't say who wrote it on the mobile version. The Express are in the same offices as us and I know one of the journalists quite well so could have had a word with him.

 

[Deleted member 26715]

Let's listen and make a complaint:
http://www.bbc.co.uk/complaints/complain-online/

OMG Have you tried to raise a complaint what an horrific lead you by the nose procedure