Crime reporting. Morgan's first attempts at bike-riding. Half marathon approaches
Picking up on the point I made the other day: Do we overdo the grim stuff in the Echo? Someone toook me to task for focusing on bad news. Today someone else had a (very polite) go at the Echo for the amount of crime stories and crime-related material in the paper.
The perception, they argued was nowehere near the reality. Liverpool they argued, is not the crime-ridden hell-hole it may appear if you read the Echo.
Does it appear that way? Tell me? Please. We don't aim for that to be the case. Nor though, do we aim to sweep things under the carpet. Bad things happen. And if we ignore them we are guilty of allowing others to sweep them under the carpet too.
If the public are aware of crimes then police, council, etc, focus upon them will naturally be greater.
If the crime figures ARE reducing then surely it's because we (the media) constantly flag up crimes and thus ensure things get done about them?
And if people are made aware of horrible crimes then they are on their guard and that means, surely, less chance of becoming a victim themselves?
Yet we don't want to terrify people to the point where they can't sleep. Nor do we want to bring readers to the brink of suicide by the dark and dismal nature of our news agenda.
And we can point to statistics that prove that crime stories are well-read features of the newspaper.
Similar situation in Los Angeles, I guess where the following blog has a big following.
http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/homicidereport/
We will continue to investigate and publish news and background to serious crimes. But we'll continue to strive for balance and reader appeal.
Are we getting it right ..or wrong?
Morgan has started riding a bike. Last night rode 60 yards then mysteriously said 'Daddy. I'm tired and hungry - can I get off now?' as we approached an ice cream van parked on Hoylake prom.
Picture tomorrow.
Last big training run completed on Sunday ahead of the Liverpool Half Marathon on March 25. Eleven miles - pretty flat course but I deliberately did a hill at the very end to see how I coped. Ok. Knees sore today and trying some vitamins that Jane suggested would help. She's also suggesting no alcohol in week leading up to race!
My brother Martin announced he was doing the half marathon with me. Fell and fractured both arms on his first training run. Wally.
Also mad. He claims he is still doing the run and is back in training despite splinted arm. Said he did six miles at weekend and 'was ok apart from the pain'. !!!
Was attending fracture clinic today but planned not to mention the run in case they stopped him doing it. Stark, staring, mad.
