A6 NewsLeader Friday, August 30, 2013
OPINION NEWSLEADER’S VIEW:
PUBLISHED & PRINTED BY BLACK PRESS LTD. at 7438 Fraser Park Drive, Burnaby, B.C. V5J 5B9
ADRIAN RAESIDE:
QUESTION OF THE WEEK:
Use your head There was a time when not wearing a helmet while cycling or skateboarding was the norm. Not so many years ago, that ‘norm’ became the exception, as injuries and deaths of those partaking in the activities were connected to the distinct lack of head protection. The tragic death in 2001 of well-known local skateboarder ‘Major’ Dave Bowers was attributed in large part to the lack of a helmet. Bowers died of complications arising from a snowboarding accident on Seymour Mountain, in which he fell backwards and hit his head. Others have died since then, while snowboarding, skateboarding, cycling. Sometimes injuries aren’t lifethreatening but they are lifealtering. A blow to the head from contact with hard pavement or frozen snow can instantly render an active, athletic individual helpless, in need of constant care, perhaps unemployable for the rest of their life. Young and old can be seen daily enjoying their sport care- and helmet-free. In the case of the particularly young, there’s no question responsibility rests on the parents. It’s an offence under the Motor Vehicle Act to permit a person under age 16 to operate or ride as a passenger without a helmet. And yet, it’s not uncommon to see parents cycle helmet-free with their children – reinforcing the potentially deadly standard as acceptable. Older riders, simply put, should know better. Of course, there are those who argue helmets aren’t needed; that they deter people from enjoyable outdoor activities. It would appear a wake-up call may be needed to remind people of what they stand to lose should that fateful fall happen. Who, after all, sets out planning to sustain a life-threatening injury? – Peace Arch News
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Advice not hard to find When people ask me what I do for work, I like to say that I ask people how to properly spell their names for a living. If a fellow journalist is in the room, I sometimes get a laugh. If not? Crickets. Lately though, I’ve started to give a different answer to that question. “So, what do you do?” “I argue with people about things that don’t really matter.” “Ohhh. Well… that’s nice.” It’s a fun conversation to have. And I’ve had a few fun ones lately. Maybe there’s been an abundance of full moons, or maybe this summer heat is making people go a lil’ loopy – myself included, I’m sure. But whatever the case, I’ve had numerous interesting interactions the past few months. Some of the phone calls and emails are sarcastic, many are exceedingly polite and a few are more vicious than necessary. Nevertheless, let’s just call it all constructive criticism. And so, in a nod to noted philosopher Homer Simpson – who once claimed “self-
Nick Greenizan improvement has always been a passion of mine” – I’ve decided to take the unsolicited advice and run with it. All of it. As such, in the future I vow to heed the following advice: • Write more about girls softball; • Write less about girls softball; • Describe South Surrey businesses as being in White Rock; • “Learn to read a map, fer crissakes!” • Don’t focus so much on junior hockey; • Don’t forget the Surrey Eagles training camp starts this week; • Publish a paper that’s not so damn negative all the time; • Seriously, don’t forget about girls softball; • Stop ignoring every important story in the city; • Stop sucking. (That last one came courtesy
7438 Fraser Park Dr., Burnaby, B.C. V5J 5B9 newsroom@burnabynewsleader.com burnabynewsleader.com | newwestnewsleader.com
of a recent letter to the editor, regarding the paper’s coverage of local sports. Thanks, as always!) The thing is, a reporter’s job is in the public eye. Our names are on the pages of the paper multiple times each week, and online for eternity. The ability for a reader to send us a comment – good or bad – is but a mouse-click away. Telling me how much I suck takes 10 seconds. (Try it, I’ll time you!) Of course, there are those who get it way worse than any reporter. We live in an era now in which everyone – whether they live in glass houses or not – feels it’s their right to throw stones at whomever, and whatever, they’d like. Want to tell a professional baseball player he’s killing your fantasy team? He’s probably on Twitter. Want to give a review of some musician’s latest work? Find him on Facebook. Want to holler at a politician? Go nuts. (That’s what we pay them for, right?) Though you’ll probably have to go through a handful of PR flacks first, which will either intensify your anger or cause you
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to give up entirely. Hmmm, maybe that’s the solution – have all my calls and emails re-routed through six different people first. Of course, a more practical – and visceral – solution would be to return fire with some variation of the old “I don’t come to where you work and yell at you!” retort, but I’ve never done that. The truth is, as reporters, none of it bothers us. We can’t take it personally. Sometimes, we’re actually alerted to a legitimate mistake (rare, of course) or something we’ve missed; and other times, the critique is just fair comment. Maybe sometimes I really am an idiot. Who’s to say? If nothing else, I figured I’d try to disabuse people of the notion that their voices of dissent are too often ignored. They’re not. You’ve been heard loud and clear. I’ll try my best not to suck so much in the future. Promise. Nick Greenizan is a sports reporter for the Peace Arch News.
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The NewsLeader is a member of the British Columbia Press Council, a self-regulatory body governing the province’s newspaper industry. The council considers complaints from the public about the conduct of member newspapers. Directors oversee the mediation of complaints, with input from both the newspaper and the complaint holder. If talking with the editor or publisher does not resolve your complaint about coverage or story treatment, you may contact the B.C. Press Council. Your written concern, with documentation, should be sent to B.C. Press Council, 201 Selby St., Nanaimo, B.C. V9R 2R2. For information, phone 888-687-2213 or go to www.bcpresscouncil.org