Journalism and cycling

amcalester

Tell me how wrote: »

He did write it though. Maybe even though he is not acknowledging that, he isn't actually denying it either.

I wonder how he genuinely feels about it now? He made a mistake or is just waiting for this to blow over.

I know he did, which is why I find it strange that when asked which area of the RSA the author worked in he didn’t answer that he was the author.

magicbastarder

not sure what this article is trying to be:

Cycling is a healthy pastime, sport and commuting option, but it demands awareness
https://www.irishtimes.com/life-and-style/health-family/fitness/cycling-is-a-healthy-pastime-sport-and-commuting-option-but-it-demands-awareness-1.3751466

Chiparus

mr spuckler wrote: »

I posted this on Twitter, but I've read many of the pieces written by "RSA Expert" for the Independent and the contrast in tone between ALL of the others & the cycling related one is incredible.
even when they talk about the killer behaviours they don't strike such an aggressive tone.

their language from the Project Edward related piece was just odd imo.



aside from the reliance on prayers to avoid road deaths, the rest of it reads as if it was written by a teenager.

Same style as the RSA expert, very short paragraphs , very odd.

eeeee

magicbastarder wrote: »

not sure what this article is trying to be:

Cycling is a healthy pastime, sport and commuting option, but it demands awareness
https://www.irishtimes.com/life-and-style/health-family/fitness/cycling-is-a-healthy-pastime-sport-and-commuting-option-but-it-demands-awareness-1.3751466

That is obscenely bad. Content aside, how did that pass an editor? Cheeses. How that standard of writing is acceptable is beyond me.

magicbastarder

the author of the sunday times piece has responded to my tweet to richard oakley about the identity of the author of the RSA piece:

https://twitter.com/AarRogan/status/1086373716215386112

amcalester

magicbastarder wrote: »

the author of the sunday times piece has responded to my tweet to richard oakley about the identity of the author of the RSA piece:

https://twitter.com/AarRogan/status/1086373716215386112

Email from the RSA today states

The article that was submitted for publication was written by Brian Farrell.

I originally asked if it was written by an RSA employee and was told it was written by the communications manager.

Now, they’re saying submitted for publication. I didn’t cop the difference until just now.

AndrewJRenko

Interesting to see that it was definitely sent to the CEO before publication

Muahahaha

This fiasco gets even worse with that screenshot of the email above. Now we know that the article was written by the "road expert" and then edited ( to remove "psycho lanes") before being approved by the Communications Manager. But the he sends the final draft to Moya Murdock and (judging by the amount of redaction) at least another eight members of RSA staff, presumably most who are senior management level, Liz O'Donnell included.

So the article was seen by the entire management structure within the RSA and not one of them found a fault with it. For me that is serious evidence of groupthink at work within the RSA when it comes to cyclist safety.

AndrewJRenko

Muahahaha wrote: »

This fiasco gets even worse with that screenshot of the email above. Now we know that the article was written by the "road expert" and then edited ( to remove "psycho lanes") before being approved by the Communications Manager. But the he sends the final draft to Moya Murdock and (judging by the amount of redaction) at least another eight members of RSA staff, presumably most who are senior management level, Liz O'Donnell included.

So the article was seen by the entire management structure within the RSA and not one of them found a fault with it. For me that is serious evidence of groupthink at work within the RSA when it comes to cyclist safety.

In general I agree with you, but I don't think this is a safe assumption. Liz is a non-executive director/chairperson. She's not 'management', she's not full-time. She chairs board meetings.


It is possible that they've arranged that she would see all content that goes externally (press materials, website content), but I wouldn't necessarily assume that.

Tell me how

AndrewJRenko wrote: »

In general I agree with you, but I don't think this is a safe assumption. Liz is a non-executive director/chairperson. She's not 'management', she's not full-time. She chairs board meetings.


It is possible that they've arranged that she would see all content that goes externally (press materials, website content), but I wouldn't necessarily assume that.

I think if they have a structure where senior management need to vet every published release or article they have bigger issues.

How could a media team headed by a communications manager not handle what should be advisory articles for all road users?

JMcL

magicbastarder wrote: »

not sure what this article is trying to be:

Cycling is a healthy pastime, sport and commuting option, but it demands awareness
https://www.irishtimes.com/life-and-style/health-family/fitness/cycling-is-a-healthy-pastime-sport-and-commuting-option-but-it-demands-awareness-1.3751466

Do the RSA really spout all that guff qouted in that? I mean it's evident they're making a lot of it up as they go along, but "children under 12 shoukd never cycle in any sort of traffic" - not sure where it says that in the road traffic act that appears, but coupled with "never ride on the footpath" the RSA advice is therefore essentially for kids never to ride bikes? FFS

Chiparus

https://www.thetimes.co.uk/edition/ireland/anti-cyclist-writer-should-be-named-c057dh2nk

More today .

AndrewJRenko

Tell me how wrote: »

I think if they have a structure where senior management need to vet every published release or article they have bigger issues.

How could a media team headed by a communications manager not handle what should be advisory articles for all road users?

It's not unusual in public bodies for all public communications to be vetted by the CEO. Personally I haven't seen a Chairperson being involved in this.

Tell me how

AndrewJRenko wrote: »

It's not unusual in public bodies for all public communications to be vetted by the CEO. Personally I haven't seen a Chairperson being involved in this.

If all communications are going to a CEO to be approved it says two things.

1. Communication Managers are overpaid.
2. It's no wonder many public bodies are making painful progress if the CEO is spending their time on such duties.

Franz Von Peppercorn

Tell me how wrote: »

If all communications are going to a CEO to be approved it says two things.

1. Communication Managers are overpaid.
2. It's no wonder many public bodies are making painful progress if the CEO is spending their time on such duties.

Often happens in private companies too. The CEO is where the buck stops, of course he should vet any material public statement for the company or in the public authority in this case.

Tell me how

Franz Von Peppercorn wrote: »

Often happens in private companies too. The CEO is where the buck stops, of course he should vet any material public statement for the company or in the public authority in this case.

A bad approach in my opinion. The function of the RSA is public awareness, they are going to be publishing a lot of information for the public. The CEO's role should be in appointing a suitably capable communications manager and team and then reviewing KPI's as appropriate but approving copy sounds like micro-managing and setting out to allow for confusion as to responsibility more so than removing it.

AndrewJRenko

Tell me how wrote: »

If all communications are going to a CEO to be approved it says two things.

1. Communication Managers are overpaid.
2. It's no wonder many public bodies are making painful progress if the CEO is spending their time on such duties.

While there is some truth in what you say, if you're going to be the person at the Dail committee answering in public, it is not unreasonable to have a process to validate what goes out.

expectationlost

amcalester wrote: »

Email from the RSA today states



I originally asked if it was written by an RSA employee and was told it was written by the communications manager.

The article that was submitted for publication was written by Brian Farrell.

Now, they’re saying submitted for publication. I didn’t cop the difference until just now.

if thats a direct quote from the RSA, then?? its very confusing...

I've got the impression that RSA is full of marketing twats and few actual experts (remember their inept attempt to copy the truck blind spot depiction https://irishcycle.com/2015/06/29/rsa-accused-of-faking-video-of-bicycles-hidden-in-truck-blindspot/)

amcalester

expectationlost wrote: »

if thats a direct quote from the RSA, then?? its very confusing...

Direct quote and yes it is very confusing, it seems like they might be trying to back track from their earlier statement that the comms Manager wrote the article to merely submitted it.

Chiparus

amcalester wrote: »

Direct quote and yes it is very confusing, it seems like they might be trying to back track from their earlier statement that the comms Manager wrote the article to merely submitted it.

Bizarre behaviour , a good question would be was the official comms manager aware or the article or was there an acting Comms manager.

As I said the piece written ( psyco lanes) seems to go against the previous reasonable position taken by the official comms manager.

mr spuckler

JMcL wrote: »

Do the RSA really spout all that guff qouted in that? I mean it's evident they're making a lot of it up as they go along, but "children under 12 shoukd never cycle in any sort of traffic" - not sure where it says that in the road traffic act that appears, but coupled with "never ride on the footpath" the RSA advice is therefore essentially for kids never to ride bikes? FFS

they've got plenty of form for this. read here and ...enjoy.

RSA Expert wrote:

The RSA recommends that children younger than 12 should not ride bicycles in any type of traffic.

RSA Expert wrote:

Always obey the Rules of the Road. Other road users will respect you more if you respect the rules.

Eamonnator

mr spuckler wrote: »

they've got plenty of form for this. read here and ...enjoy.

Dear Jesus.
"turning right can be very dangerous"
What encouragement is this kind of language to anybody thinking of getting a bike for a child?

tomasrojo

I get the strong impression that they have always though that cycling is a hobby, and it's best practised on closed streets in organised events, on Sundays, with hi-viz give-aways as you register.

Glass Prison 1214

mr spuckler wrote: »

they've got plenty of form for this. read here and ...enjoy.

That's disgraceful advice. They should be encouraging people to cycle and promoting safe road conditions to do so.

The RSA is a farce.

magicbastarder

i did find the labelled diagram of the bike useful. now i know what those two big round things are called.

Pinch Flat

Eamonnator wrote: »

Dear Jesus.
"turning right can be very dangerous"
What encouragement is this kind of language to anybody thinking of getting a bike for a child?

It’s amazing how many cyclists plan their trip to work and weekend cycles that make sure they go straight only. Couldn’t be entertaining a left or right turn now. Waaaaay to dangerous.

ED E

Pinch Flat wrote: »

It’s amazing how many cyclists plan their trip to work and weekend cycles that make sure they go straight only. Couldn’t be entertaining a left or right turn now. Waaaaay to dangerous.

Funnily enough UPS in the states do that to, no left turns.

tomasrojo

ED E wrote: »

Funnily enough UPS in the states do that to, no left turns.

I was only thinking about that the other day. Heard it on Planet Money podcast, I think. They plan (via software, I think) routes in advance to minimise the number of left turns (equivalent to right turns, here, obviously), so as to minimise delays.

EDIT: I think it's in the audio of this one:
https://www.npr.org/sections/money/2014/04/17/303770907/to-increase-productivity-ups-monitors-drivers-every-move

Seth Brundle

Pinch Flat wrote: »

It’s amazing how many cyclists plan their trip to work and weekend cycles that make sure they go straight only. Couldn’t be entertaining a left or right turn now. Waaaaay to dangerous.

ED E wrote: »

Funnily enough UPS in the states do that to, no left turns.

Scientifically known as the Zoolander Effect!

magicbastarder

ED E wrote: »

Funnily enough UPS in the states do that to, no left turns.

if memory serves, they actually started to look into it after mythbusters borrowed one of their vans to test the theory.