Daily Record bigotry

http://www.dailyrecord.co.uk/opinion/columnists/lifestyle/joanburnie/# is a
link to an offensive article in the Daily Record of 24 March, which I found
inaccurate and so complained to the Press Complaints Commission
(http://www.pcc.org.uk/) The tone of her article is full of prejudice and
bigotry and seems intent on stirring social hatred. IMO, she needs an ASBO
slapped on her ASAP.

The inaccuracies my complaint cited were her claim that all 4x4s are
dangerous FULL STOP, and that nobody who lives in a built-up area needs
one. For anyone who lives in a built-up area and participates in off-road
events, nothing else will do, and many modern 4x4s have better Euro-NCAP
ratings than many non-4x4 types (e.g. check the ratings for the CR-V).

Please have a read and, if you also find the article offensive, consider
complaining yourselves.

Cheers,

--
Geoff

Geoff Lane ([email protected]) gurgled happily, sounding much
like they were saying :

> http://www.dailyrecord.co.uk/opinion/columnists/lifestyle/joanburnie/#
> is a link to an offensive article in the Daily Record of 24 March,
> which I found inaccurate and so complained to the Press Complaints
> Commission (http://www.pcc.org.uk/)

> The tone of her article is full of prejudice

It IS rather clearly labelled as an OPINION piece. Look at the URL you
posted...

Adrian <[email protected]> wrote in
news:[email protected]:

> It IS rather clearly labelled as an OPINION piece. Look at the URL you
> posted...

Expressing an opinion is one thing. However, that piece is something more.
AFAICT, the press may not express as fact something that they do not know
to be true *even in an opinion piece*. The author did not say that it was
her opinion that 4x4s are dangerous etc. She declared those inaccuracies as
facts that she used to support her opinion. Those inaccuracies are
fundamental to her argument, so consider how much less impact her piece
would have without them!

Put it another way, if she had written in the same tone expressing the same
sort of opinion of an ethnic or religious sector, she would have been up
before the beak fairly rapidly - and that's without taking account of her
falsehoods. I see no reason why she should not be called to account for
inciting hatred against any other sector of society. Nor do I see any
reason why she should be allowed make things up as she goes along.

--
Geoff

Geoff Lane ([email protected]) gurgled happily, sounding much
like they were saying :

>> It IS rather clearly labelled as an OPINION piece. Look at the URL
>> you posted...

> Expressing an opinion is one thing. However, that piece is something
> more.

Not at all. It's an opinion piece, a column. Deliberately provocative.

> AFAICT, the press may not express as fact something that they do
> not know to be true *even in an opinion piece*. The author did not say
> that it was her opinion that 4x4s are dangerous etc.

They are. If you get hit by one, it's going to hurt. Just as it will with
any other car. That's why it's generally a wise idea not to play in
traffic.

> Put it another way, if she had written in the same tone expressing the
> same sort of opinion of an ethnic or religious sector, she would have
> been up before the beak fairly rapidly - and that's without taking
> account of her falsehoods. I see no reason why she should not be
> called to account for inciting hatred against any other sector of
> society.

You need a sense of proportion, and rapidly.

On 2006-03-27, Adrian <[email protected]> wrote:

> You need a sense of proportion, and rapidly.

Unfortunately there's a lot of people who don't recognise the
difference between opinion pieces in newspapers (i.e. every single
article) and reasoned argument. Personally I think that we've got an
absolutely dreadful press in this country especially at the more
low-brow end of the market.

--
Blast off and strike the evil Bydo empire!

"Geoff Lane" <[email protected]> wrote in message
news:[email protected]...
> http://www.dailyrecord.co.uk/opinion/columnists/lifestyle/joanburnie/# is
> a
> link to an offensive article in the Daily Record of 24 March, which I
> found
> inaccurate and so complained to the Press Complaints Commission
> (http://www.pcc.org.uk/) The tone of her article is full of prejudice and
> bigotry and seems intent on stirring social hatred. IMO, she needs an ASBO
> slapped on her ASAP.
>
> The inaccuracies my complaint cited were her claim that all 4x4s are
> dangerous FULL STOP, and that nobody who lives in a built-up area needs
> one. For anyone who lives in a built-up area and participates in off-road
> events, nothing else will do, and many modern 4x4s have better Euro-NCAP
> ratings than many non-4x4 types (e.g. check the ratings for the CR-V).
>
> Please have a read and, if you also find the article offensive, consider
> complaining yourselves.
>
> Cheers,
>
> --
> Geoff

I actually emailed her back saying much the same. Reminding her of the facts
that the VED was increased on ALL CARS that emit over 225g/co2 etc

Stupid Silly cow, she ought to be shot

> They are. If you get hit by one, it's going to hurt. Just as it will with
> any other car. That's why it's generally a wise idea not to play in
> traffic.
>

Yes your right, but she specifically singles out 4x4's as been more
dangerous than "normal" cars when that just isnt true. NCAP own research
says that in a pedestrian accident the head of the pedestrian hits the
bonnet, as 4x4's tend to have bigger engine compartments there is more space
between bonnet and engine to dampen the impact on the head. In a normal car,
this gap can be millimeters and in effect would just be the same as the head
hitting the engine directly.


>> Put it another way, if she had written in the same tone expressing the
>> same sort of opinion of an ethnic or religious sector, she would have
>> been up before the beak fairly rapidly - and that's without taking
>> account of her falsehoods. I see no reason why she should not be
>> called to account for inciting hatred against any other sector of
>> society.
>

> You need a sense of proportion, and rapidly.

You seem to be a person that does realise that it is her opinion and no more
than that, in other words you read between the lines and see her own hatred
towards 4x4's and how she is using her column to air her views.
Unfortunalty, not all readers of the record are of a similar intelligence
and will take what she is commenting on as fact and not just biggoted
opinion.

You could quite easily re-write that column and replace any mention of 4x4's
with "sports cars"

Steve

Joan Burnie has spouted inane gargabe for decades, the woman is an
idiot. And the Daily Record isn't a newspaper.