Cycling Dons
There was a ridiculous piece on the Today Programme this morning about the University of Oxford offering cycle training to its staff (which they have been doing for a while, actually). The spin was that Dons on bicycles were terrorizing pedestrians and riding dangerously. Edward Stourton asked in a rather jovial way if Oxford academics werenât clever enough to work out how to ride a bike on their own.
Sometimes the quality of journalism really gets me down. The University introduced the courses as part of a very sensible initiative of try go get staff to abandon their cars and cycle to work instead. They even have some Brompton folding bikes to loan staff who need of travel on the train as part of their job. They knew that many people are put off cycling in Oxford because of the traffic, and worry about the safety of being on a bike in the centre of town. So they introduced the courses as a way of giving staffâwhose cycle skills might be a bit rustyâthe confidence to hold their own on the road, and to be aware of potential dangers and avoid them.
Later in the programme they reported a rather angry email from a listener (an Oxford Don) who was outraged about the slur on academicsâ cycling skills. He pointed out that itâs usually the students who are hurtling the wrong way down a one-way street when they are late for lectures, rather than the academics as Edward Stourton suggested. In a rather wonderful turn of phrase, the listener said that the lecturer is usually in the lecture theatre âcooling his heelsâ (note the âhisâ) waiting for the students to turn up.
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i'm just imagining something like "Bears On Wheels"
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Easy does it bsag, Oxford is regarded as a part of the establishment, perhaps even a privileged place, so will always be a target for cheap (and perhaps envious) laughs. But don't object, or you may look rather pompous and self-important (and I know you are not). Perhaps you should regard it as a compliment, that people recognise Oxford as an important place.
And reporting of anything is, and never has, been that accurate, especially if those pesky facts start getting in the way of a good story.
by ThoughtBadger @ 27/03/2004 12:03 am • Permalink •
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Today? Journalism?
by pete @ 27/03/2004 9:03 am • Permalink •
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stacy: :-D
ThoughtBadger: I'm sorry if I came across as pompous. I should probably have put this in the 'Rants' category, rather than 'Culture'.
My irritation was mainly because I happened to know the real story, rather than because it was directed at Oxford academics. And because it just perpetuates the myth that all academics are 'Professor Brainstorm' types: old, male and eccentric. It's also the second time this week that a news story I that I have some personal involvement with has been very badly reported. I also tend to laugh hollowly when people describe Oxford as privileged--not for everyone it isn't, and lovely as the scenery is, you can't eat it 
Aaand, relax...
pete: Well, quite.
by bsag @ 27/03/2004 7:04 pm • Permalink •
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Oooh, the Today programme drives me nuts, it really does. I heard that one and though "what a load of old tosh" too. Then this morning there was a dreadful piece about some kids football league which didn't want the local paper to describe one teams 29-0 defeat (it was suggested that it should be capped at 14-0 which I didn't quite understand).
James Naughie (or possibly John Humpries) was trying not to laugh most of the time and generally behaving like the most superior git and at the end he said "Well, I wonder what our listeners will think of it". What I think is that the Today programme ought to have a bit of respect for itself and stick to proper reporting rather than fluff.
Gosh, that got me rather het up, didn't it! I think I sense a post of my own coming on...
by Jo @ 30/03/2004 3:03 pm • Permalink •
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