I would like to mention that on an earlier post, I said something about the (news) reporting being terrible regarding the charity bike run accident in Butler County on Saturday. If I may put that post into context, I meant that reporters did not do a good job of covering the story. As a reporter myself, I am somewhat disturbed by the amount of speculation that took place. The stories seem biased and opinionated. Journalists are not supposed to speculate or insert opinions (I am not referencing Facebook blogging, rather news reporting). One reporter even said something to the affect of, They hopped on their bikes and rode away. That statement could not have been grounded in fact unless the writer witnessed it. I knew nothing of the accident until I read the stories this morning, yet I can plainly see there is a facts issue. Having a great deal of experience with bike runs like this, I find it hard to believe that people who come out for a charity event are going to leave the injured. I am not going to discuss what I have been told by a family member of the person whom lost her life, out of respect for him, and his family. He will be making a statement on the Stormys Nation page later today. What I will say is that the biker community here in Cincinnati is a very close-knit group that truly cares for others and is always willing to raise money for those in need. Some have made the ultimate sacrifice for children and others less fortunate, and that needs to be the focus. Not what green reporters have to say about something they will never understand. These runs are generally well planned. There are dry runs that take place prior to the event (after routes are planned out) where debris is removed from roadways, and blocking is practiced. There is a great deal of signaling between riders during the runs in order to maintain safety, and there are riders whose sole job is to monitor what is happening. Typically, there is not enough time to become intoxicated during the ride because stops are short and few. This is an unfortunate accident. God bless the families. The community supports you.
Posted on: Mon, 29 Sep 2014 18:00:27 +0000