Audrey Cooper won't be missed

Photo: Mike Kepka

Audrey Cooper didn't become the editor in chief of the SF Chronicle until 2015, but before that she was the "Chronicle’s metro editor in 2009, assistant managing editor in 2011, deputy managing editor in 2012 and managing editor in 2013."

Now that she's leaving the Chronicle, Cooper could shed some light about how/why the paper completely ignored that UC study on cycling and safety in San Francisco showing that cycling accidents in the city have been significantly under-counted over the years.

The Chronicle wasn't alone, since there has been a complete blackout of local print media coverage of the issue.

The NY Times did an October, 2013, story on the study, including an interview with the lead author, a doctor at UC medical center. That's how I learned about the issue, which I blogged about at the time and many times thereafter. 

As "managing editor" when the Times story was published, Cooper must have been involved in how the Chronicle covered the story---or how it decided not to cover it at all. 

It wouldn't be surprising if none of the Chronicle editors read my blog, but it would be surprising if none of them read the NY Times, especially when it had stories about San Francisco.

Okay, of course they knew about it. How did they arrive at the Stalinoid blackout decision? It must have been an editorial decision. Otherwise, one of the Chronicle reporters or columnists could have written about it as something San Francisco readers would like to learn about.

Why would Chronicle editors refuse to cover the story? Because the UC study undercut one of City Hall's most important policies---its aggressive push to get people in the city to ride bicycles, even city children. If people started questioning the safety of cycling, it would undermine that important policy and a prominent PC progressive fad.

And over the years, the Chronicle has always favored the bike movement. It essentially endorsed Critical Mass in 2007 and had fawning interviews with Leah Shahum (here and here).

Cooper "did not identify her new employer." Why not tell the Chronicle and the rest of us where her new job is? 

My guess: she's going to work for Trump's re-election campaign or some Republican candidate. Or, of course, Fox News. 

We know Cooper has authoritarian tendencies. Recall her reported threat to fire Chronicle workers who joined the women's march in 2017.