My 乌鸦传媒淏oxing Day Special乌鸦传媒� gift to you is to 乌鸦传媒渃all out乌鸦传媒� the news media for 乌鸦传媒渇ake news乌鸦传媒�.
I cringe every time I see these 乌鸦传媒渇ake news乌鸦传媒� headlines which all news media seem to be guilty of:
乌鸦传媒溛谘淮綕 (CBC 乌鸦传媒� Nov. 15, 2017);
乌鸦传媒�Icy conditions causing havoc on Kelowna area roads乌鸦传媒� (Capital News 乌鸦传媒� Dec. 3, 2017);
乌鸦传媒� (Castanet 乌鸦传媒� Nov. 4, 2017)
Do you ever see these analogous headlines:
乌鸦传媒淒eep water leads to drowning乌鸦传媒�;
乌鸦传媒淲atery depths cause havoc on the beach乌鸦传媒�; or
乌鸦传媒淪unny weather leads to drowning death乌鸦传媒�?
Don乌鸦传媒檛 they sound nonsensical!
The public needs to know that the vast majority of drownings occur because of factors that are entirely within our control, i.e. alcohol or drug impaired swimming, lack of supervision of children who don乌鸦传媒檛 know how to swim, adults over-swimming their abilities, walking / driving on thin ice, boaters failing to use life jackets, etc.
Those true causes of drownings are reported by the news media. That乌鸦传媒檚 important. It helps the public recognize and protect against risky behaviours that can lead to drowning.
It also leads to an attitude of accountability and consequences. Blaming bodies of water and warm weather would lead to an attitude of 乌鸦传媒渁ccidents happen乌鸦传媒�.
Icy roads are no more a cause of crashes than deep water is a cause of drownings.
We live in an area of the world that has winter. The season hits us year after year without fail.
Ice and snow, the natural consequences of winter, are just as predictable as the depth of water in a lake or pool.
If we blame the snowy and icy roads for crashes, we cause a powerless attitude of 乌鸦传媒渁ccidents happen乌鸦传媒�.
Why don乌鸦传媒檛 we lay the blame where it belongs, creating an attitude of accountability and consequences?
Consider these alternate headlines:
乌鸦传媒淚cy conditions take clueless drivers by surprise乌鸦传媒�;
乌鸦传媒淭oo many crashes caused by overdriving winter road conditions乌鸦传媒�; and
乌鸦传媒淒rivers fail to slow down in slippery conditions; no wonder ICBC rates are going up乌鸦传媒�.
We need to grumble and complain about drivers who fail to use good winter tires and who overdrive the conditions. Not about the naturally occurring ice and snow.
Here乌鸦传媒檚 a bit of common sense that I pulled from a case decided back in 1941, quoted by the British Columbia Court of Appeal in Savinkoff v. Seggweiss, a judgment
乌鸦传媒淚f roads are in such a condition that a motor car cannot safely proceed at all, it is the duty of the driver to stop. If the roads are in such a condition that it is not safe to go at more than a foot pace, his duty is to proceed at a foot pace.乌鸦传媒�
Messaging in the news media is powerful stuff. There is a reason why mass advertising is expensive: It works.
If the news media were to get together and resolve to report about crashes in a way that brings about a sense of accountability and consequences, there would be a natural improvement in driving attitudes.
An improvement in driving attitudes will reduce crashes and put a stop to rising ICBC rates.
Let乌鸦传媒檚 get rid of the fake news and make our roads safer!
