Don't stop at this headline

To the editor:

(re: “So, has Bowman abandoned Riverdale?” Oct. 21)

It is a sad fact — one that is well-known in journalism and supported by countless studies — that as much as 80 percent of newspaper readers read only the headlines, and not the story.

Thus it makes one wonder if The Riverdale Press editors were up to some nefarious business when a front page story carried the highly suggestive headline, “So, has Bowman abandoned Riverdale?” while the accompanying story carried a clear and resounding answer: Absolutely not!

Virtually all those interviewed in the story indicated they have been able to easily communicate with U.S. Rep. Jamaal Bowman’s office despite there not being one physically located in Riverdale. Moreover, the congressman’s decision to reduce the number of his offices in order to lower real estate expenses and hence pay staffers a decent wage can only be considered commendable.

And this brings up another point: So eager are the authors to fabricate a story where there is none, they indulge in totally inaccurate, factually erroneous reporting. It turns out that although Bowman has only one office in the Bronx — upon which the story focuses — his office in Westchester, in Mount Vernon, is closer to Riverdale than the Co-op City office, whether traveling by car, bus or bicycle, as a simple check on Google will verify.

Finally, readers should be reminded that Bowman actually still lives and spends time in the district, in nearby Yonkers, while our previous representative Eliot Engel spent more time than he probably should have in his Maryland residence.

Steve Siegelbaum

EDITOR’S NOTE: Utilizing public transit and leaving on a weekday afternoon, the time to travel from Eliot Engel’s Johnson Avenue office to either U.S. Rep. Jamaal Bowman’s Mount Vernon or Co-op City district offices is similar.

The fastest routes to Westchester County include picking up a Metro-North train in Fordham, along with either large periods of walking, or multiple transfers. Such a trip would cost $5.75 at minimum at standard fare. Traveling to Co-op City requires one transfer, and would cost $2.75.

Headlines are intended to be read in conjunction with stories, and are treated as such in a typical news outlet.

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