errors in magazines

[Jon Linkov]

I work for a magazine (full disclosure: I'm one of the automotive editors at
Consumer Reports) and, let me tell you, it's hard to get correct information
from a manufacturer for a monthly pub, let alone a weekly.

For example, look at the new A6. Going to AoA's PR site gives you JUST
euro-spec information, even after the NYAS introduction of the North
American model. And even the US-specific info is often wrong. Originally,
they said that quattro would be standard on the V6 and V8. Then, they subtly
switched that to optional on the V6 and standard on the V8. Then, just a few
weeks ago, it switched BACK to standard/standard.

Sure, most of the public never saw that. But since I have to keep track of
stuff like that, those switches end up making it a PITA for us to keep our
print and web info up to date.

Saturn recalls all the VUE SUVs and the Ford Escape tips up in NHTSA
rollover testing two days before we go to print. So, that means a scramble
to re-write and have it all fact-checked, etc. If we hadn't done that, we'd
go to print with a car that was listed as Recommended (the Escape), but
really wasn't (we don't Recommend any vehicle that tips during the NHTSA
tests). We'd have looked bad, people would have commented, etc.

So, it's pretty tough to do a monthly, let alone a weekly. I have respect
for them to get that out each week.

Jon


On 9/6/04 2:47 PM, "quattro-request at audifans.com"
<quattro-request at audifans.com> wrote:

> As for the content, I see errors as well from time to time.  I'm sure
> it's tought to do a weekly, but it's not like they haven't been doing
> it for awhile.  Seems the current staff is a bit lax.  I still enjoy
> receiving a weekly though.  Get on their website and let them know
> every time you find an error and it'll improve in time.
> 
> Ed