stapfam
01-04-08, 02:11 PM
Below is the email I received back from the CTC- with regard to the email I sent them regarding Matthew Parris's Article in the times.
The Press complaint commision received over 200 complaints- That is rare for any complaints received by them- and means they have had in excess of 200- and is the 3rd most complained about article they have received- with complaints still coming in.
Thank you for your email. Please find CTC’s response below:
Matthew Parris has apologised for his ill-considered rant in the Times last week, no doubt under pressure from the hundreds of cyclists who complained to his editor and to the letters page in the Times. Since the article came out, the Times has run two letters from cyclists, and an article by a cyclist justifiably outraged at his stupid and dangerous comments.
Articles threatening or inciting people to attack cyclists, ‘humorous’ or otherwise, will not be tolerated. Letters from CTC to the editor of the Times and the Press Complaints Commission were already on their way when the apology appeared, and it has subsequently been suggested that the PCC received over 200 complaints from individual cyclists. Following the apology, we have now asked the editor of the Times to ensure that such articles are never published again. We have also suggested that he employ a cycling columnist, as many other national newspapers do, and offered to provide Mr. Parris with some cycle training.
Should another article like this appear in the Times, or any other newspaper, we will seek legal advice about bringing a private prosecution against the author. Journalists must recognise that it is not acceptable to incite violence against cyclists, even if it’s Christmas, they have nothing interesting to write about and a deadline to meet
You may also be interested in these other responses to the same article:
http://www.bikebiz.co.uk/news/29324/Parris-apologises-for-behead-cyclists-joke
http://commentisfree.guardian.co.uk/matt_seaton/2008/01/parris_je_ne_taime_pas.html
Kind regards
Julie Rand
Information Officer
CTC - the UK's national cyclists' organisation
Parklands
Railton Road
Guildford
GU2 9JX
Tel: 0870 873 0060 Direct Line: 01483 238308
Fax: 0870 873 0064 Email: cycling@ctc.org.uk
Website: www.ctc.org.uk
The Press complaint commision received over 200 complaints- That is rare for any complaints received by them- and means they have had in excess of 200- and is the 3rd most complained about article they have received- with complaints still coming in.
Thank you for your email. Please find CTC’s response below:
Matthew Parris has apologised for his ill-considered rant in the Times last week, no doubt under pressure from the hundreds of cyclists who complained to his editor and to the letters page in the Times. Since the article came out, the Times has run two letters from cyclists, and an article by a cyclist justifiably outraged at his stupid and dangerous comments.
Articles threatening or inciting people to attack cyclists, ‘humorous’ or otherwise, will not be tolerated. Letters from CTC to the editor of the Times and the Press Complaints Commission were already on their way when the apology appeared, and it has subsequently been suggested that the PCC received over 200 complaints from individual cyclists. Following the apology, we have now asked the editor of the Times to ensure that such articles are never published again. We have also suggested that he employ a cycling columnist, as many other national newspapers do, and offered to provide Mr. Parris with some cycle training.
Should another article like this appear in the Times, or any other newspaper, we will seek legal advice about bringing a private prosecution against the author. Journalists must recognise that it is not acceptable to incite violence against cyclists, even if it’s Christmas, they have nothing interesting to write about and a deadline to meet
You may also be interested in these other responses to the same article:
http://www.bikebiz.co.uk/news/29324/Parris-apologises-for-behead-cyclists-joke
http://commentisfree.guardian.co.uk/matt_seaton/2008/01/parris_je_ne_taime_pas.html
Kind regards
Julie Rand
Information Officer
CTC - the UK's national cyclists' organisation
Parklands
Railton Road
Guildford
GU2 9JX
Tel: 0870 873 0060 Direct Line: 01483 238308
Fax: 0870 873 0064 Email: cycling@ctc.org.uk
Website: www.ctc.org.uk