According to the authors, there is a glaring disconnect between polls that show most residents in favor of bike lanes and media coverage that claims widespread opposition to bike projects. The cause for the disconnect, claim Catherine Lutz and Anne Fernandez, is the press' reliance on advertising dollars from the auto industry.
From DC Streets Blog:
"In 2010 alone, the automotive sector spent $13 billion on advertising, more than any other industry including telecom, and accounting for one out of every ten dollars doled out by advertisers in the U.S."