automotive editorial standards

[rob hod]

 It happens this side of the pond too. The good old British press. In the
case of one of the respected UK broadsheets I've been so incensed by the
unedited nonsense passed off week after week as content in the weekend
motoring section that I've been moved to write (ok e-mail) to them imploring
they get the sub-editors, editors or whatever's required to stop their
semi-celebrity prattlers exposing their ignorance with every other
paragraph. It just wouldn't be allowed in any other section of that paper.


rob
----- Original Message ----- > Message: 8
> Date: Thu, 29 Jan 2004 10:28:06 -0500
> From: Brett Dikeman <brett at cloud9.net>
> Subject: Re: automotive editorial standards
> To: Michael McLaughlin <mcloffs at mac.com>, quattro at audifans.com
> Message-ID: <a05200f01bc3ed5b1b665@[192.168.1.2]>
> Content-Type: text/plain; charset="us-ascii" ; format="flowed"
>
> At 11:03 PM -0800 1/28/04, Michael McLaughlin wrote:
> >As someone in the newspaper business, I feel the need to point out
> >that most automotive content in newspapers is produced by the
> >advertising/promotional people, which should explain the (typically
> >gushing) focus of the content. Very few newspapers have actual
> >journalism folks covering the automotive world; Royal Ford's
> >position is a rarity.
> >
> >Yes, he did screw up. And yes, it's something that he certainly
> >shouldn't have screwed up. But please be understanding and at least
> >a little forgiving -- at most people's jobs, when there is an error,
> >it's not seen by thousands or millions of people, nor do people call
> >or e-mail to point it out.
>
> As you're in the newspaper business, you should also have mentioned
> that Royal Ford has an editor, and The Boston Globe is one of the
> largest newspapers on the east coast, second only to the NY
> Times(which owns the Globe now).  Ie- they have plenty of resources
> for proofreaders.
>
> It's an unforgivable mistake because your basic motorhead knows
> rather well that BMW has RARELY turbocharged an engine.  They'd also,
> of course, know that the 1.8t is a VAG engine.
>
> It wasn't a typo.  It was a "I don't know about the automotive
> industry to realize my mistake AND I don't give a crap enough about
> my work to proofread my articles before sending them out to a million
> plus readers despite working for the second largest paper in the
> entire east coast."
>
> If this had been any other subject matter, they would have released
> an editorial apology.  I rest my case about automotive editorial
> standards being crap.
>
> Brett
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