ANTI-CYCLING CAMPAIGNS IN THE MEDIA: THE CASE OF SEVILLE

ANTI-CYCLING CAMPAIGNS IN THE MEDIA:THE CASE OF SEVILLE VOCA 3rd meeting Vienna, March - April 2012 A CONTRAMANO ASAMBLEA CICLISTA Seville

IMPORTANCE OF COMMUNICATION PLANNING Karl Rove to an influential Democrat journalist (not-literal summary): We make up a new reality with a lot of well-combined false data. We position this as the “official version”. We do this quickly, at first of all, when you don’t expect it. Then you get into that invented reality to try to demonstrate it is a lie… what you finally may accomplish months later, when nobody is paying attention to it or when people are already used to take our lie as the truth. By that, we get you to be busy trying to show we are liars, and while you put all your efforts for that, we do whatever we want without oposition, and even have the time to prepare more and better lies that will keep you more and more busy and distracted.

COMMUNICATION POLICYIn spite of the success of its cycling system… has urban cycling in Sevilla wasted its communication potencial? LOST OPPORTUNITIES:New image of the cityTourist campaignsNewsworthy processArticles in mass mediaReference to other cities

political parties municipal candidates local mass media columnists shopkeepers organizations residents associations garages, private parking lots taxi-drivers car users WHO’S THE GOSSIP?

MEDIA’S CAMPAIGN “VICTIMS”:

Thinks to criticize: • We have to bear annoying works for building bike lanes! • Building a bike-lane network is expensive! • Bike lanes are useless! • Too much effort and money for only a few users! • Why cyclists should have more rights than us? • Public bike-rental system is unfair competition (for taxis)! • It’s bad for commerce and business! • Parking places are disappearing!! • Pedestrians lose their spaces! • Pedestrians are the victims!!!

Bad image on cyclists(in Sevillian campaign… and beyond) Irresponsible riders who are a risk for all Poor (a vehicle for people with no money) “Dirty” “outsiders” “hippies” “eccentrics” Backward, against progress

The cyclist’s stigma Why so many journalists choose to draw a bad image of bicycle users? Several sociologists (Kidder, Fincham…) have researched this phenomenon, especially regarding bicycle messengers. Fincham (2006, Bicycle messengers and the road to freedom) compile media comments such as: “Lycra lout” “Bicycle guerrillas” (The Guardian) “Lycra Nazis” (Jeremy Clarkson, in The Sun) “helmeted Lycra-clad fanatic riding wherever he chooses”

Some nice quotations “...cycle courier performing balletic figure eights in the junction in front, one hand on the handlebars and one clamping a phone to his ear” (The Sunday Times, justifying car drivers rolling cyclists). Quoted by Fincham, 2006. “When will people understand that roads are for cars and that there is no danger at all from speeding motorists if walkers and cyclists steer clear?” (Clarkson, in The Sun). Quoted by Fincham, 2006. Our favourite pick: “ [We should] string piano wire across country lanes to decapitate cyclists.” Matthew Parris in The Times 27thDecember 2007

Weakening of the anti-cycling campaign in Seville: REASONS FOR THE CAMPAIGN FAILURE: • Social support to the new infrastructure. • Criticism was too arbitrary and ungrounded. • Positive image of urban cycling. • Some initial mistakes have been corrected.

IMPACT OF CRITICISM

Indifference to the campaign was due to: • The campaign was perceived to be a failure. • Criticism were unfounded. • Success of the pro-cycling policies • Partisan motivation was too obvious Still, some campaign contents were very succesful and even today they last: “Pedestrians are the weak part, cyclists are a danger for them” CURRENT LEGAL ACTIONS AGAINST CYCLING ARE FOUNDED IN THIS IDEA

Urban cyclism in Seville has come to stay But communication has revealed to be an important flank in the work of pro-cycling institutions and associations.

DANKE SCHÖN GRACIAS THANK YOU

ANTI-CYCLING CAMPAIGNS IN THE MEDIA: THE CASE OF SEVILLE