When a van man makes the papers, it is reported as a lorry or a HGV, does the editor know the difference?
There’s been a couple of things in the Scottish news recently regarding this. First one was a story in Aberdeen where a cyclist was knocked down and killed by a ‘truck’! Later in the story the vehicle was described as Ford Transit Pick up!
Something pretty much the same from the next story regarding the court case about the travellers who ran over another traveller in Newmains with their ‘truck’ and killed him on purpose. Again the truck was a Iveco Daily Pick up!
Readers see the word truck in the news and asume it was juggernaut that was involved making us look even more bad.
Somerset Standard reports a drunk lorry driver that ran away from police when they were tipped off that he was drinking at a local pub, the lorry driver ignored the blue lights when being chased and dumped his “”““lorry””" in a small cul de sac, and later arrested on foot as he ran off, the report then says he later sold his VW transporter VAN, does VW make Lorries?
The general public will perceive this to be a lorry driver, as they will not know the difference, like we have a bad image already, and the media can not be bothered to do some basic research and find out the facts.
All media write a THUNDERING killer HGV,with a witness to say the driver was going at least 70 mph, did he get the actual speed record from his speed gun that is in fact a hair dryer, as there are a few road warriors that try to stop a moving truck by standing in front of the driver and giving him a lecture on his driving skills in small villages.
Normally retired ex Milatary gents with too much time on their hands, or residents worried that nasty lorries will reduce their artificialy inflated house prices and can not sell their house with trucks flying past their front doors.
simple really,
Thundering Juggernaut sounds better than a Transit Van.
The first and most important rule in media is to never let the truth get in the way of a good story.
For many years the media reported almost all negative events involving one or more motorcyclists by describing them invariably as ‘Hells Angels’.
The motorcycle club known as the Hells Angels became pretty miffed about this. One of their motto’s is “we do something right & no one remembers, we do something wrong & nobody forgets” !
Contrary to almost everyones perception of them, they didn’t hunt down the guilty & murder their families in a horrible ■■■■ of bloodshed. They simply registered the name ‘Hells Angels’ as a trademark.
The term “Hells Angels” & the associated deaths head logo are registered trademarks . . . & rigorously guarded.
If you’re as old as me you’ll remember all those reports of what the Hells Angels got up to in the 70’s, 80’s & 90’s, but you’ll struggle to find a negative reference to them today.
If you fail to understand why your media of choice twists & turns the truth, then you first need to realise that it is attempting to form your opinion. If you maintain that your opinions belong to you & nobody, not even the media can form it except yourself, then you are very much mistaken.
Double post deleted.