Paceline down? theories?

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Isn't there some organization that stops you using the term if you don't have sufficient independence.

Why don't they just cut to the chase and call them the PR puppets that they are. Or "Vice President - American Fan Liaison".

It would be like hiring a pharmacist and calling him/her a team doctor. Maybe there is a better analogy than that... :rolleyes:
Say what? Every jerkoff with a blog calls himself a journalist these days.

I hope I am not offending anybody. But PR people sometimes make me sick. I raised hell to Trek about this story involving Rebellin's "prototype" Klein. http://www.cyclingnews.com/tech/?id=2002/news/may01 Treks' PR person Connie Ryland actually called me directly and admitted that she wasn't telling the truth. She didn't seem to mind bending the truth to protect the brand. She refused to retract her statement. I think this obsession over spin and controlling the message is a big problem generally. The press is is such a hurry to produce content that they have stopped diggin into things and are allowing people like Mehl to pass themselves off as journalists when they are really nothing more than biased PR hacks.

I presume that Helmet is still one of the journalists fighting the good fight.

I hope I am not offending anybody. But PR people sometimes make me sick. I raised hell to Trek about this story involving Rebellin's "prototype" Klein. http://www.cyclingnews.com/tech/?id=2002/news/may01 Treks' PR person Connie Ryland actually called me directly and admitted that she wasn't telling the truth. She didn't seem to mind bending the truth to protect the brand. She refused to retract her statement. I think this obsession over spin and controlling the message is a big problem generally. The press is is such a hurry to produce content that they have stopped diggin into things and are allowing people like Mehl to pass themselves off as journalists when they are really nothing more than biased PR hacks.

I presume that Helmet is still one of the journalists fighting the good fight.And now its just considered acceptable for some news networks to spin the news and justify it by saying they are serving a niche market. Problem is... how do you know you are getting the truth or not, when lying or "bending" is acceptable?

I hope I am not offending anybody. But PR people sometimes make me sick. I raised hell to Trek about this story involving Rebellin's "prototype" Klein. http://www.cyclingnews.com/tech/?id=2002/news/may01 Treks' PR person Connie Ryland actually called me directly and admitted that she wasn't telling the truth. She didn't seem to mind bending the truth to protect the brand. She refused to retract her statement. I think this obsession over spin and controlling the message is a big problem generally. The press is is such a hurry to produce content that they have stopped diggin into things and are allowing people like Mehl to pass themselves off as journalists when they are really nothing more than biased PR hacks.
I read an interesting article that described how a lot of what is in the media comes from PR firms. The writer used Lexis-Nexis to search for stories containing the string "The suit is back," which comes from Men's Warehouse's PR firm. They showed a wide range of mainstream newspapers and magazines from the early 90s onward had articles parroting Men's Warehouse PR campaign, but the articles were written as though they were legitimate general interest news stories. It was very enlightening.

That type of stuff is also appearing on TV news.

I read an interesting article that described how a lot of what is in the media comes from PR firms. The writer used Lexis-Nexis to search for stories containing the string "The suit is back," which comes from Men's Warehouse's PR firm. They showed a wide range of mainstream newspapers and magazines from the early 90s onward had articles parroting Men's Warehouse PR campaign, but the articles were written as though they were legitimate general interest news stories. It was very enlightening.It is called "fark" and there is website dedicated to it http://www.fark.com/ . I read this http://www.amazon.com/Its-Not-News-Fark-Media/dp/B000Z4K3TE/ref=pd_bbs_sr_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1205413531&sr=1-1 last year. Much of the "reporting" by media outlets is merely regirgitation of press releases.(not news outlets, news exists only in independent papers and some places on the internet. So few people own a majority of the media we see, that it cannot be trusted in any way. News has been bought by the corporations who advertise around what you watch. Television is an advertising venue with programing, not the other way around. Newspapers are becoming the same thing for the most part.) It is sad.

Agreed : impartial reporting of factual information is becoming less and less.

Whatever about cycling information, it is important that news organisations report the facts and not their interpretation of the facts.

Agreed : impartial reporting of factual information is becoming less and less.

Whatever about cycling information, it is important that news organisations report the facts and not their interpretation of the facts.Have news organizations ever just reported the facts without their interpretations though?

But coming to journalism, I wonder how the bona-fide journalists feel about the presence of pseudo-journalists such as Mehl. I mean, if someone with no formal training would suddenly start mouthing BS and start referring to himself or herself in the same professional category as what others have reached after years of proper tranining, I would expect them to be royally pissed.

Have news organizations ever just reported the facts without their interpretations though?

But coming to journalism, I wonder how the bona-fide journalists feel about the presence of pseudo-journalists such as Mehl. I mean, if someone with no formal training would suddenly start mouthing BS and start referring to himself or herself in the same professional category as what others have reached after years of proper tranining, I would expect them to be royally pissed.Cathy Mehl biography (http://www.dailypeloton.com/cathy-mehl.asp)says.


Somewhere in the back of my mind, I had the belief I should be more than an bookkeeper: I should also be a journalist! And I should cover bike races! So I volunteered to do so for the Daily Peloton, with my first exposure to the sport being US Postal’s winter training camp in Solvang, California, near my office. Scared out of my wits, I attended my first press conference, I met real journalists, I talked with professional riders, and I felt like the newest member of some cool club: some cool club that had nice people as members! People that were friendly and helpful, all with the common denominator of loving cycling.

Worse Cathy Mehl interview of all with Landis (http://www.dailypeloton.com/displayarticle.asp?pk=10271).


If I personally were reading criticisms of myself or people bagging on my character I would probably lose it, but you’ve had to deal with that a lot since July. How do you deal with the ones that state you are a cheater? What resources do you draw upon to keep yourself on an even keel instead of going off on a rant defending yourself? Do you ever feel like shouting from the rooftops, “Look at me! I’m not a cheater, and have never been one!”

Have news organizations ever just reported the facts without their interpretations though?

But coming to journalism, I wonder how the bona-fide journalists feel about the presence of pseudo-journalists such as Mehl. I mean, if someone with no formal training would suddenly start mouthing BS and start referring to himself or herself in the same professional category as what others have reached after years of proper tranining, I would expect them to be royally pissed.

Good points.

Regarding cycling journalism, there are a few journos out there who call it as they see (as opposed to those who call it like they wish to see it).
Writers like Kimmage, Walsh, Graham Fife, Alisdair Fotheringham, our own Cyclingheroes, all come to their writing for the love of the sport.


Writers who write about their favourite team or favourite rider, or who write about a team/rider based solely on their sharing the same nationality, are not journalists.
They're bargain basement hacks.

Good points.

Regarding cycling journalism, there are a few journos out there who call it as they see (as opposed to those who call it like they wish to see it).
Writers like Kimmage, Walsh, Graham Fife, Alisdair Fotheringham, our own Cyclingheroes, all come to their writing for the love of the sport.


Writers who write about their favourite team or favourite rider, or who write about a team/rider based solely on their sharing the same nationality, are not journalists.
They're bargain basement hacks.
stick to bookkeeping I reckon.

It is called "fark" and there is website dedicated to it http://www.fark.com/ . Huh? Fark's a community-based news aggregator of sorts, with a cult following and a history. The content is in the comments (and photoshop contests, of course).

If you want real asininity, look no further than digg and reddit.

Huh? Fark's a community-based news aggregator of sorts, with a cult following and a history. The content is in the comments (and photoshop contests, of course).

If you want real asininity, look no further than digg and reddit.
Read the book, it explains the link, and the origin of the term. The site was created following the origination of the term.

Huh? Fark's a community-based news aggregator of sorts, with a cult following and a history. The content is in the comments (and photoshop contests, of course).

If you want real asininity, look no further than digg and reddit.
And if you read what I was referring to, your "Huh?" wouldn't be necessary.

And if you read what I was referring to, your "Huh?" wouldn't be necessary.Sorry, Amazon doesn't print the whole book so that I can read it online.

EDIT: I actually took the time to click the link, and now I see where you're coming from. Apologies for the misinterpretation.

Good points.

Regarding cycling journalism, there are a few journos out there who call it as they see (as opposed to those who call it like they wish to see it).
Writers like Kimmage, Walsh, Graham Fife, Alisdair Fotheringham, our own Cyclingheroes, all come to their writing for the love of the sport.


Writers who write about their favourite team or favourite rider, or who write about a team/rider based solely on their sharing the same nationality, are not journalists.
They're bargain basement hacks.Agreed.

... allowing people like Mehl to pass themselves off as journalists when they are really nothing more than biased PR hacks.

I presume that Helmet is still one of the journalists fighting the good fight.I've done both. Sometimes you have to just have to pay the light bill.

Fact, I'm changing professions. With my wife's blessing, I'm starting truck driving school on March 24th.

I've done both. Sometimes you have to just have to pay the light bill.

Fact, I'm changing professions. With my wife's blessing, I'm starting truck driving school on March 24th.
Following in wolfix's footsteps? (or tread marks)

Following in wolfix's footsteps? (or tread marks)Yeah, actually. He's giving me some advice. I've always wanted to drive the big rigs.

Yeah, actually. He's giving me some advice. I've always wanted to drive the big rigs.
Well, I'm sure you'll find plenty to write about doing that...going to do freelance then?