Tallahassee Democrat biased against motorcycles-reporting on todays motorcycle fatality adds to the evidence

We have no problem with anybody sending this to the Tallahassee Democrat. We think they don't like us no more :(

From the Tallahassee Democrat:
http://tallahassee.com/article/20090114/BREAKINGNEWS/90102002
updated 11:52 a.m.

The crash occurred just before dawn, which is a time Tallahassee police say is more difficult for drivers to spot pedestrians and cyclists. McCranie said the cyclist was wearing a helmet at the time of the incident, something he said may have provided some safety.

A green Triumph motorcycle heading southbound on Thomasville careened into an eastbound Toyota Camry, at approximately 6:50 a.m.

“It’s not one of those top 25 intersections… we have not experienced many crashes along this corridor of Thomasville Road,” said David McCranie, spokesman for the Tallahassee Police Department.

Now unless your a motorcyclists you probably would not have picked up on :

southbound on Thomasville careened into an eastbound Toyota Camry,

Hmmm how does this happen?

"McCranie said the cyclist was wearing a helmet at the time of the incident, something he said may have provided some safety."

Now I ask you and I challenge McCranie to define what degree of safety was provided.
Unfortunately the individual was killed. NOTHING prevented that. But wait. Lets compare this to WCTV's coverage.
http://www.wctv.tv/home/headlines/37563859.html

Weaver appears to have been traveling east on Live Oak Plantation Road and attempted to turn left onto Thomasville Road in an effort to travel north. During the above vehicle movements, Davis collided with the driver side door of the Toyota causing him to be thrown from the motorcycle.

 A TPD Spokesman says the driver of a gray Toyota Camry pulled out in front of the motorcycle as she attempted to turn left on Thomasville Road. She told officers she did not see the motorcyclist.

The Toyota turned in front of the oncoming motorcycle thus violating it's right of way???? THe driver admits "she did not see the motorcyclists".   How often does this happen?  All the time.
Why did the Tallahassee Democrat not report that??????

Instead  the Tallahassee Democrat Reported:

The crash occurred just before dawn, which is a time Tallahassee police say is more difficult for drivers to spot pedestrians and cyclists.

How does one interpret this statement? Does it excuse the Toyata driver in some way?  Nowhere does the Tallahassee Democrat even hint that the driver violated the motorcycles rights of way.

Now as to the Democrats reporting of McRanies statement:

"McCranie said the cyclist was wearing a helmet at the time of the incident, something he said may have provided some safety."

WCTV reports:

Officers say the motorcyclist was wearing a helmet but the impact of the crash was too great.

Is this not more accurate? Is this not the truth?  Is this not accurately reporting that there are times when no amount of safety equipment is going to save you? 

The other issue is, why report on the presence of a helmet at all?  After all is not the issue that the Toyata pulled out in front of the motorcycle.  That is what killed the motorcyclists. Not the presence or lack of presence of a helmet.

The times listed on the WCTV website and the Tallahassee Democrat are similiar enough as to wonder why the differences in reporting.

We will have to assume that one news outlet WCTV was interested in reporting straight facts and the other allowed their bias to cover there reporting.  We do not blame the Tallahassee Democrat for that. We report on stuff but we also admit to being extremely biased.  We are biased towards Freedom, Bikers and the truth.

This is not the first example of Tallahassee Democrats Bias against the truth of motorcycling.

At the Florida Department of Highway Safety Press Conference that tried it's best not to answer questions it cold not answer we were covered by the Associated Press. Had you read the Democrats coverage you would not have known there was any dissent at all. Despite the fact that we provided their reporter with a 17 page document w/ links outlining and debunking the myths perpetrated by the Florida department of Highway Safety.

When we learned that the reporter did not include any of it. We e-mailed it to those in positions of power at the Democrat.  They ignored the truth.

In their multi-page splash put out by Gannet news corp and presented as "truth" we again sent info debunking some of what is perceived as truth. Needless to say it to was ignored.

In other word it would appear that that the Tallahassee Democrat is not th "Biker"/motorcyclists friend. To the extent they will color any reporting having to do with motorcycles with a bias that is inexcusable for the communities only newspaper.

We could only wish they would stop worshiping at the alter of FSU football and apply the same reporting to all stories that they have admirably applied to the coverage of the death of Rachel Hoffman.

What is also interesting is that we have advised them that should they need information re: motorcycling that we, or others that would be glad to help, can in most instance's access information that may be helpful in printing the "whole" story. To date they have not felt the need to do so.
One can only assume it is because they have a staff full of bikers that are interested in presenting the facts.

That offer still stands even though we are probably perceived as the little man in "Only cowgirls sing the blues" that lives in a cave banging on pots and pans.  Though  now the offer would have a condition or two insure that the bias is taken out.Add to Technorati Favorites

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