BBC is now linking its news pages to 'SafeSpeed'...

[Howard]

Hi folks,

Look at the following story. Not happy with acting as an
uncritical mouthpiece of 'SafeSpeed' the BBC is now
providing them with a direct link from their news pages. (Of
course no link is given to The Slower Speeds initative).
Definately time to complain methinks!

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk_politics/3628631.stm

 

[Anonymous]

"Howard" <[email protected]> wrote in message
news:[email protected]...
> Hi folks,
>
> Look at the following story. Not happy with acting as an
> uncritical mouthpiece of 'SafeSpeed' the BBC is now
> providing them with a direct link from their news pages.

Howard -

You're falling into the trap too. SafeSpeed isn't a 'them',
it's a 'him', and his name has been mentioned many times
before. Just because he's managed to persuade some people to
give him some money doesn't make him royalty.

cheers, clive

 

[Just Zis Guy]

Howard wrote:

> Look at the following story. Not happy with acting as an
> uncritical mouthpiece of 'SafeSpeed' the BBC is now
> providing them with a direct link from their news pages.
> (Of course no link is given to The Slower Speeds
> initative). Definately time to complain methinks!

Complain away - it won't work :-(

I reckon I could probably get that much coverage if I didn't
have a day job. That's the fundamental problem: when 5m1th
was justa speedophile he had limited time, now he's an
unemployed speedophile masquerading as a full-time road
safety campaigner, he has all the time in the world. You
can, after all, fool some of the people all of the time, and
there are an awful lot of speedophiles out there looking for
just his kind of **** to excuse their dangerous behaviour.

Even holocaust deniers find an outlet for their views. It's
just a shame that so many journalists would rather quote
5m1th than someone credible.

--
Guy
===
May contain traces of irony. Contents liable to settle after
posting. http://www.chapmancentral.co.uk

88% of helmet statistics are made up, 65% of them at
Washington University

 

[Peter Clinch]

Just zis Guy, you know? wrote:

> Complain away - it won't work :-(

I complained away, as not complaining certainly won't.

Pete.
--
Peter Clinch University of Dundee Tel 44 1382 660111 ext.
33637 Medical Physics, Ninewells Hospital Fax 44 1382 640177
Dundee DD1 9SY Scotland UK net [email protected]
http://www.dundee.ac.uk/~pjclinch/

 

[Anonymous]

Peter Clinch posted ...

> Just zis Guy, you know? wrote:
>
>> Complain away - it won't work :-(
>
> I complained away, as not complaining certainly won't.

Agreed ..

--
Paul

(8(|) Homer rocks ..

 

[David Hansen]

On Fri, 16 Apr 2004 11:01:43 +0100 someone who may be "Just zis Guy,
you know?" <[email protected]> wrote this:-

>Complain away - it won't work :-(

Complain to your MP. After all Charter Renewal is coming up,
as government was very keen to say around the time that Mr
Hutton slapped got his whitewash out (though government
later tried to distance itself from this threat).

--
David Hansen, Edinburgh | PGP email preferred-key number
F566DA0E I will always explain revoked keys, unless the UK
government prevents me using the RIP Act 2000.

 

[Johnb]

Peter Clinch wrote:
>
> Just zis Guy, you know? wrote:
>
> > Complain away - it won't work :-(
>
> I complained away, as not complaining certainly won't.

Quite right. My complaint has been sent.

Sitting back does no good at all.

John B

 

[Md]

Howard wrote:
> Hi folks,
>
> Look at the following story. Not happy with acting as an
> uncritical mouthpiece of 'SafeSpeed' the BBC is now
> providing them with a
direct
> link from their news pages. (Of course no link is
> given to The
Slower
> Speeds initative). Definately time to complain methinks!
>
> http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk_politics/3628631.stm

Why? Do you think only links to sites that you agree with
should be published?

The BBC site usually has links to external sites that
relate to the news story in question, and note that "The
BBC is not responsible for the content of external internet
sites". Some of the views raised would seem to tally with
those expressed in the external site, so it appears to be
partly relevant.

The sites linked to do seem to throw up the odd anomaly, so
maybe Mr Smith had been badgering someone that day. Perhaps
you should join an organisation with views compatible with
your own, or even form one of your own if none can be found,
and do your own badgering to try and get people to your own
site where views that differ from Mr Smiths can be
expressed. That would be preferable to censorship.

A quick search of the BBC site shows that other speed
related transport stories have carried links to the sites of
Brake, Transport2000 and various environmentalist groups. I
suppose that's OK, since I assume from your comments that
you agree with what they have to say.

I'm sure Voltaire had something to say about that.

I thought I'd search for stories about something a bit
more contentious. Interestingly, no story relating to
the BNP contains a link to their site, so make of that
what you will.

--

Regards,

Mark Davies

 

[Geraint Jones]

"MD" wrote: ) The BBC site usually has links to external
sites that relate to the ( news story in question, and note
that "The BBC is not responsible for ) the content of
external internet sites".

That disclaimer doesn't appear to cover the text of the link
which on the face of it seems to claim that SS is a "road
safety campaign".

 

[Howard]

> Complain to your MP.
>

Nice idea. However the way the BBC have been using 'Safe
Speed' and 'ABD' material does seem to be in contravention
of thier own editorial policy...

BBC News Editorial Policy.

'... The BBC sees its audience as citizens who have the
right to independent and impartial information.

When a BBC correspondent reports a story, the aim is to
provide an insight based on evidence and on professional
judgement - uncluttered by commercial interest or the need
to support a particuar proprietor or ideology.

Journalistic judgements

We should not be driven by what other media organsiations
are saying about a story. Nor should we assess a story's
importance by measuring the prominence it is given
elsewhere.

We need to work out for ourselves what matters and what is
just spin, public relations or chaff.

It is the BBC's job to look at news with a fresh pair of
eyes - and not to be driven by the agendas and interests of
newspapers, pressure groups, political parties or
governments.'

 

[Gonzalez]

On 16 Apr 2004 02:10:58 -0700, [email protected] (Howard)
wrote:

>Hi folks,
>
>Look at the following story. Not happy with acting as an
>uncritical mouthpiece of 'SafeSpeed' the BBC is now
>providing them with a direct link from their news pages.
>(Of course no link is given to The Slower Speeds
>initative). Definately time to complain methinks!
>
>http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk_politics/3628631.stm

I don't really have a problem with the BBC posting a link to
the SS website, and I hope loads and loads of people will
follow the link. My reason: everyone will be able to see for
themselves what an idiot the SS Nutter is.

 

[David Hansen]

On Fri, 16 Apr 2004 17:17:31 +0100 someone who may be "MD"
<[email protected]> wrote this:-

>The BBC site usually has links to external sites that
>relate to the news story in question,

The BBC should link to sites that illustrate all sides of a
story. Personally I suggested that they add Roadpeace and
the Slower Speeds Initiative to the links, I did not suggest
they remove Mr Smith's site from the links.

--
David Hansen, Edinburgh | PGP email preferred-key number
F566DA0E I will always explain revoked keys, unless the UK
government prevents me using the RIP Act 2000.

 

[The.Mark]

Just zis Guy, you know? wrote: It's
> just a shame that so many journalists would rather quote
> 5m1th than someone credible.

I read that as Filth. My eyes are getting tired.
--
Mark

Remove nothing to reply.

 

[Howard]

> Why? Do you think only links to sites that you agree with
> should be published?
>

My complaint to the BBC simply argues that the writer of the
article should have researched the background to the claims
about crash causality made by 'Safe Speed.' These claims
refer to the supplements to the stats 19 forms and are quite
simply false. This is because these forms were developed on
the basis that excessive speed forms an intimate part of the
causal chain leading to most crashes and their purpose was
to better understand just WHY excessive speed (or
'inappropriate' speed to adopt the spin of the speedophile)
led to a crash in a given set of circumstances. Given this
acceptance 'excessive speed' was not even listed as a main
or 'precipitating' cause of crashes so it is hardly
surprising excessive speed does not come up a a primary
cause of crashes in the recording process! Various synonyms
for excessive speed and factors related to excessive speed,
such as 'losing control' were included but again the
speedophiles attempt to deny that these have anything to do
with speed either!

I also said that if they are to use links to groups such as
Safe Speed' they should also balance this by providing a
link to a groups such as The Slower Speeds Initiative.

Hardly an attempt at censorship, just a call for accuracy
and balance in line with their own editorial guidelines...

 

[James Hodson]

On Fri, 16 Apr 2004 11:01:43 +0100, "Just zis Guy, you know?"
<[email protected]> wrote:

>Howard wrote:
>
>> Look at the following story. Not happy with acting as an
>> uncritical mouthpiece of 'SafeSpeed' the BBC is now
>> providing them with a direct link from their news pages.
>> (Of course no link is given to The Slower Speeds
>> initative). Definately time to complain methinks!
>
>Complain away - it won't work :-(

Your favourite rag, the good ol' DM, is now quoting him on
page two rather than page quite a lot >page two. He was even
mentioned in a little box all of his own.

Come to think of it, a little box all of his own is quite an
appropriate place for young Smiddy.

I really must wake myself up and pen a letter.

James