the road ahead
|
Aaron Barr reports in Media Daily,
"According to research company Strategy Analytics,
13% of U.S. households will participate in bundled
offerings that include fixed voice, Internet,
television and
mobile voice services by 2016." That's
a "fourfold increase over the current levels, says
Ben Piper, director of Multiplay Market
Dynamics for Strategy Analytics. . . .
Barbara Hudson writes in the LinuxInsider
(The Death of The Smart Phone) "Let's go 20
years in the future. Pretty much every electronic
device can interact with your video SPEKZ, which can
be anything from a pair of plain-jane
NokiaSofts
to the latest cool shades from Apple (Nasdaq:
AAPL). Cars, streetlight surveillance cams, water
meters, televisions, and even your clock radio are
all talking to each other -- and your SPEKZ' are
piggybacking on their data streams. There's not a
single laptop, desktop, smartphone or tablet
computer in sight."
John Harris writes of Google World
Domination in the U. K's Guardian Newspaper,
"If you have ever raged against the stranglehold practised by Rupert Murdoch, bear one thing
in mind: Google's power now threatens to make him
look like a village newsagent. . . . . "Google has a
shot not at control of the means to access
information, but the information itself. Potentially
all information, which is something worth panicking
about."
This confluence of both the means of obtaining
information and the information made available
worries Eli Pariser in an Op-Ed piece for the
New York Times: When The Internet Thinks It Knows
You. He writes: "By now, we're familiar with ads
that follow us around online based on our recent
clicks on commercial Web sites. But increasingly,
and nearly invisibly, our searches for information
are being personalized too. Two people who each
search on Google for "Egypt" may get significantly
different results, based on their past clicks. Both
Yahoo News and Google News make
adjustments to their home pages for each individual
visitor. And just last month, this technology began
making inroads on the Web sites of newspapers like
The Washington Post and The New York Times.
"All of this is fairly harmless when information
about consumer products is filtered into and out of
your personal universe. But when personalization
affects not just what you buy but how you think,
different issues arise. Democracy depends on the
citizen's ability to engage with multiple
viewpoints; the Internet limits such engagement when
it offers up only information that reflects your
already established point of view. While it's
sometimes convenient to see only what you want to
see, it's critical at other times that you see
things that you don't."
Click here to comment online.
TOC
|
passing scene |
Journalism's "silly season" of lazy hazy "dog days" brings less news and
leaves more time and space to be filled with quirks, quacks and quiddities:
 |
The new no battery
mechanical system being developed in England, the Flybrid, successfully powered this race car at LeMans
this year. |
The Detroit Bureau tells of "a British-designed ‘flybrid'" that stores
energy in a mechanical flywheel rather than a complex - - and far more costly -
- battery system." . . . Pure Energy Systems.com carried news of "The
Astounding Potential of Plasmic Power in PlasmERG Engine." It says the
manufacturer's technology offers a solution to the energy crisis, a way to end the
use of fossil fuels, and the potential to jump start a new technological age --
among other benefits! Engines utilizing the "Plasmic Transition Process"
are unique in many ways, and offer many advantages over internal combustion
engines, electric motors, and turbines. Their capabilities are simply light
years beyond any current "mainstream" technology." The site also has news of
cold fusion and numerous pure energy developments. . . . A little more down to earth is a flying car also reported by The
Detroit Bureau. This one's credibility quotient is up because it is being
developed by Burt Rutan, the man who built the Voyager the first
plane to fly around the world without stopping or refueling and whose suborbital
SpaceShipOne captured the $10 million Ansari X-Prfize.
And totally prosaic, two parades. Hybrid owners were expected to gather in
Madison, Wis. in July for the world's longest parade of hybrid cars. An event "rushing the previous Guinness World Record™ for longest hybrid vehicle
parade—auto enthusiasts in Belgium set the record in 2010 with a 140 car parade.
True to form, no follow up and AWcom remains in the dark. . . .A parade of
298 Cadillacs did set a new world's record according to The Detroit
News when they gathered in Barton, Vt., hometown of the make's founder,
Henry M. Leland. Led by Leland descendents in a pink convertible Caddy, the
rolling tribute shattered the previous record of 102 cars set in the Netherlands
in 2002 – where they and their neighbors obviously have time on their
hands.
 |
Jay-Z and Kanye West
take a blow torch to this Maybach.
|
A Maybach car was power sawn, blow torched and reduced to a rolling
wreck without doors or roof - for the sake of an MTV Video by a couple of
hip hop moguls. The cheapest model of the German luxury car sells for about
$375,000. They claim it will be auctioned off for charity. Experts estimate it
will take at least $150,000 for just a fully reinforced frame. . . . AWCom
was also treated to a photo of ten unidentified people in a row, one of whom was Dept. of
Energy Secretary Steven Chu cutting a ribbon and what looks like popping
champagne at the opening of a lithium battery separator plant in North Carolina.
And, there were the thieves who used a Smart phone to unlock a car and steal it
and the not so surprising survey finding that the thrill wears off after you
drive a luxury car for a while. Recent reports put advertising at $22 billion the #2 largest ad category in the U.S. but the dollars are rapidly forsaking
print for digital outlets. One reason is the decline in dealerships. Last,
Jack Baruth added a little heat to the summer by asking what the sales
success of the Volkswagen Jetta says about auto journalism when a number
of well-known outlets panned it.
Click here to comment online.
TOC
|
advertisement |
 |
autowriters
spotlight |
"Eutrapelia"* is the best single word to describe freelance auto
writer John Pearley Huffman. But who would know? Born in San
Francisco and raised in Santa Barbara. Calif., he did not take the stage
out of town as did his Hollywood actor brother Linus and
Tony-Award winning sister Cady. Instead, he opted for a career in
what he terms the sub-subculture of auto writing.
It was a bright and sunny day when personable young John Pearley
Huffman stopped by on his quest nearly 25 years ago to solve the
vexing conundrum facing most new job hunters: work needed to get
experience but experience needed to get work. He found himself in this
situation after deciding his graduate classes in communication studies
were worthless and that his days in marketing at Kinko's held the
prospect of copying one another into eternity.
 |
Camera shy John Pearley
Huffman provided this photo of his parody that launched
his career in auto writing. |
He solved that problem a few months later by recognizing that he wasn't
so much "a car guy" as he was "a car magazine guy." He had been perusing
them since he was six-years-old and their editors and columnists shaped
and inspired his writing. He recalls, "When I was a kid, the editors and
writers I thought were great were David E. Davis, Jean
Shepherd and Brock Yates at Car and Driver. Terry
Cook and Rick Voegelin at Car Craft and Hot Rod.
Of those, the only one I've met is Rick Voegelin. You could add
to those Henry Manney III, Gordon Baxter, Warren Weith,
Rob Walker, LJK Setright, Pat Ganahl, Jon Asher
and Gray Baskerville and only scratch the surface of the writers
I grew up worshipping. I loved car magazines long before I loved cars."
With that self-awareness and the desktop publishing skills he absorbed
at Kinko's, John Pearley created a parody of Car and Driver Magazine
titled Car and Pearley. He sent it and his resume to 80
publications and other possible employers. With 30 positive responses
and four firm job offers, John Pearley says, "I think it may have been
the most successful resume helper since the dawn of time. Since I had no
experience whatsoever that was relevant to the jobs I was seeking." Car
and Driver ran a portion of the parody in the magazine as, "Pilgrimage
To Maranello." It can be found on its web site today at
Car and Driver.
Not that his technical knowledge of cars is a blank sheet. His first
freelance piece for Motor Trend resulted from a 1993 conversation
with two GM engineers working on the next Corvette – then
still three years down the road. When he ventured that it ought to have
a. Lotus-like backbone frame and rear-mounted transmission they
confirmed it would. John Pearley told Motor Trend editor Jeff Karr
that he had a scoop. Karr agreed, and with the help of illustrator
Duane Kuchar, Huffman produced the story of what the next
Corvette would be in one day and just made the issue going to press.
Getting that ready access and acceptance on his first try reflects one
of John Pearley's maxims for freelance success: ‘Work with people you
like to talk with." While working at Car Craft, one of the four firm job
offers he got from his resume/parody mailing, his outgoing personality
made him known, liked and sometimes employed to provide content for
other Petersen auto titles in the building. And at press
gatherings it helped him meet and learn from pros who guided, mentored,
hired and referred him for freelance work. He salutes those who helped
him survive in auto writing. At the risk of omitting more than one
valued friends he cites: C. Van Tune, Lee Kelley, Don
Sherman, Steven Cole Smith, Richard Chang (who once
threw him off Super Street Magazine, but still counted as a
friend). He also lists editors and contacts at the many outlets that use
his work today. Which leads to another Huffman maxim: "Don't be afraid
to say yes." He explains. "Guys who only want to write road tests spend
40 percent of their time chasing test cars to write about. That's a
quick way to go broke. Be willing and able to write about what an editor
is looking for."
"The best thing about my job is that I get to work with people I really
like. And we don't spend so much time together that they get sick of me.
"And I wouldn't expect any of them to hire me again tomorrow if I
weren't turning in stuff that was solid, useable and delivered with some
timeliness.'
*Eutrapelia- wit, ease and urbanity of conversation -
Foyle's Further Philavery 2008
Click here to comment online.
TOC |
advertisement |
 |
regional news |
New England – Ezra Dyer has departed New England
for warmer climes and perhaps other incentives and therefore
resigned his post as president of NEMPA. Vice President Keith
Griffin moved up and AAA's John Paul agreed to come
aboard as vice president. The organization will celebrate its
25th Anniversary in 2012. Dyer continues to serve the same
outlets and his email contact remains the same. Instead of a
September meeting, press members were invited to a Nissan
product presentation on the 13th at the Museum of
Transportation.
New York – Tickets to IMPA's Test Days September
22 and 23 are on sale for $95 for members and guests. The event
has switched from Pocono to the Monticello Motor Club in
the Catskill Mountains which will afford convenient off-road
testing on Day One as well as scenic touring opportunities.
IMPA's annual banquet will be held that evening at the
Honor's Haven Resort and Spa. The dinner will celebrate
IMPA's 50th birthday. Day Two will focus on testing at the Motor
Club. Contact Kermish-Geylin Public Relations to
register, mgeylin@kgpr.com. One-hour Volunteers are needed at various
venues throughout the day. Contact Paul Licata.
Washington D.C. - Honeywell is bringing a number
of turbocharged cars for WAPA members to drive following
the company's update and overview of turbocharging technology at
the WAPA luncheon Sep. 14.
Florida - The Audi R8 Spyder was named the best
convertible in the inaugural "Topless In Miami"
competition staged by SAMA in late June. 15 different
manufacturers entered a total of 19 vehicles in the competition
and 40 SAMA members participated in the ride'n drive
competition. In addition to the overall award, the best luxury,
family, sports car and small convertibles were recognized:
www.toplessinmiami.com.
 |
Pictured (l-r) are SAMA
officials Ron Beasley and Paul Borden with Audi regional
communications director Andrew Lippman, Fiat USA
President Laura Soave, Nissan-Infiniti regional
communications director Steve Parrett, General Motors
regional communications director Araba Dowell, SAMA
Treasurer Marcello Serrato and SAMA Vice President Jaime
Florez. |
Texas – TAWA memberships for 2012 will be free to
those registering and attending the annual Texas Truck Rodeo
in San Antonio, October 20 – 22. Association president Mike
Herzing says excellent rates negotiated at the Marriott
Rivercenter headquarters hotel and adjourning Saturday
afternoon makes the one-time offer possible.
California – "Size Doesn't Always Matter "is the
latest exhibit at the Petersen Museum in Los Angeles. It
takes museum visitors on a 90-vehicle chronological tour of
miniscule motoring development from the mid-1910s to the
alternative power vehicles of today. Over 90 vehicles will be on
display in this colorful and quirky exhibit of miniscule
motoring. It runs through May 28, 2012. . . .MPG has
negotiated free admission to the Petersen and to the Wally
Parks NHRA Museum for its members as well as a 20% discount
at LAX and many other airports around the U.S. for those of its
members who join the MPG Spot Club Exec program with The Parking
Spot. . . . A 20-member jury panel has been selected for the
first-ever Motor Press Guild Vehicle of the Year (VOTY)
award program. The award will recognize the most significant new
vehicle introduced in the calendar year as judged by the Motor
Press Guild journalist members and should be considered overall
best in its particular class. The VOTY winner will be announced
at the Los Angeles International Auto Show as a prelude
to the annual keynote speech.
TOC
|
awards honors and events |
Lindsay Brooke's recount of the development of the Chevrolet Volt
for the SAE's Vehicle Electrification web site won the "Best of the
Internet" award at The 20th Annual International Automotive Media
Awards.
The deadline passed for nominating books for this
year's Dean Batchelor Awards (judges need time to read them). But
the Articles, Audio/visual (TV, radio, video or film) and
Photography competitions are open until Sept. 15. Any automotive
journalistic work in these categories may be nominated but must be
entered by an MPG member. Go to
http://motorpressguild.org/events for complete information.
SEMA's most recent inductees into
its Hall of Fame are Gray Baskerville, Art Chrisman,
Chris Economaki and John Towle. . . . Red Bull Racing Technical Director Adrian Newey
was presented England's
Motorsport Industry Association's most
prestigious personal award by Damon Hill during MIA's annual
Summer
Reception at the House of Lords. He is the only designer to win the
Formula One Constructors Championship with three different F1 teams.
His designs also have won IMSA GTP races and the Indianapolis 500.
Media representatives may register at no charge for the third
annual Business of Plugging In, an electric vehicle conference in
Dearborn, Mich. October 11-13. Sponsored by the Center For Auto
Research, the three-day event will gather representatives from
utilities, automotive manufacturers and suppliers, investors,
regulators, to discuss global strategy for the long-term growth and
continued success of the market. There will be ride ‘n drives of the
newest plug-in vehicles.
The hottest vehicle platforms on
display during the 2011 SEMA Show in Las Vegas, Nev., Nov. 1-3 will
be presented with the coveted SEMA Award in four categories: Hottest
Car, Hottest Truck, Hottest 4x4-SUV, and – for the first time –
Hottest Sport Compact. . . Decisive Media won Gold Ink Awards for
its Decisive and Decisive Latino magazines in the annual competition
conducted by Printing Impressions Magazine. Winners were selected
from more than 1,000 entries in 46 different categories of print
communications.
Ford has the most ideal vehicles and Porsche
is the ideal brand as determined in a unique survey responded to by
72,000 acquirers of new 2011 model year cars and trucks. Conducted
by research and consulting firm Auto Pacific, the survey identifies
"the vehicles that owners want to change the least. In other words,
the vehicles that already match their owner's demands."
In the
quest to find the next A-list automobile, this year's edition of the
LA Auto Show Design Challenge will focus on designing Hollywood's
hottest new movie car. For the second year in a row, participating
design studios from not only the U.S., but also Germany and Japan,
will compete against one another to showcase their talents. The
winner will be announced Nov.17.
TOC
|
new
roads |
Two subscribers have written to tell of new roads they have taken.
Here are excerpts from each announcement.
The Weekend Drive
Vince Bodiford: "I am delighted to officially announce that
The Weekend Drive has relocated from Scottsdale, Arizona to Seal
Beach, California. . . . I'm also delighted to announce that I am now
the Publisher of Sun Newspapers, Inc., the leading community
newspaper in Seal Beach, including companion newspapers serving
Leisure World, and the region's top community digital news outlet -
www.sunnews.org . This
newspaper group is part of a larger group of Southern California
Community Newspapers.. . . I am now developing an automotive section
to be shared by the entire group of newspapers, which will also feature
my regular new car reviews under both The Weekend Drive brand and our
all-new weekly new car feature, "California Driver." The print and digital outlets partnership
will deliver a regular weekly blended print/digital audience of over one
million households in Southern California .
vincebodiford@theweekenddrive.com
publisher@sunnews.org
The Virtual Driver
Chris Sawyer " . . . on July 8, 2011, a new blogging platform,
The Virtual Driver went live. (TVD) is an automotive web site that
doesn't take itself too seriously, but strives to get the story right.
One that promises an eclectic mix of opinion, analysis, technology and
vehicle reviews, as well as lifestyle items of interest to the motoring
public. Missing (is) breaking news, driven as it is by speed and not
thought. That's because we at TVD would rather get the story right or
impart the knowledge that comes from spending time with a vehicle or
product. Getting there first isn't the goal. Doing the job right is.
TVD is concerned by the transition from "hands-free" to "hands-off" as
technology expands, and will explain any implications for expanding or
diminishing the driving experience. The opinion and analysis pages will
be used to look at trends, and tell you what we think is happening in
the industry, motor sport and other areas of interest. In Tirades,
Al Vinikour dips into the unending depths of his vitriol to
excoriate those people and things that drive the modern motorist around
the bend.
www.thevirtualdriver.com
Chris.sawyer@thevirtualdriver.com
With their acquisition by Hearst, Road & Track and Car
and Driver are entering social commerce by offering group discount
services to their readers. They also have a new email formula for their
staffs: firstinitiallastname@hearst.com. . . . . And Kelley Blue Book is opening up its
www.kbb.com to aftermarket advertisers
with an emphasis on DIYs who frequent the site.
TOC |
pit notes |
American drivers are cutting back on the miles they drive but they are neither
slowing down nor lightening up in response to spiking gas prices, according to
AutoPacific. The California–based automotive marketing research and
product-consulting firm found that only 36% of drivers surveyed were taking
their foot off the gas to counter the costs of fuel (up $1.00 per gal. July- to
-July). And, the same survey, found little change in responders next-car
intentions with SUVs, Crossovers and Pickup trucks holding their own
year-to-year. For more information on Auto Pacific's periodic surveys, go to
www.AutoPacific.com or
www.Vehiclevoice.com.
 |
The Impossible
Collection Of Cars |
"Taking It To The Next Level" is a just-out biography of motorcycle
racing star Ken Spies from Bull Publishing. Contact:
sales@bullublishing.com. $29.95,
186 photos. . . . . Also newly available from Bull are two books with CDs
published in Germany: Team Lotus in Formula One with 315 photos
and two
CDs and Porsche Sounds with 300 photos and three CDs. The Lotus book is
$75.00 and the Porsche coffee-table-er, $59.95. . . . For serious book money,
there's The Impossible Collection of Cars, published by Assouline
in collaboration with Dan Neil who wrote the captions and introductory
essay. Price: $650.00.To help you decide, Brett Berk provides a laudatory review of the
book in the current issue if Vanity Fair.
The NASCAR Hall of Fame 2011 class of inductees featured multi-time
championship drivers David Pearson, Ned Jarrett and the late
Lee Petty, former champion Bobby Allison and championship-winning
team owner Bud Moore. Cash, as in greenbacks would be another welcome
induction. The Hall reported a $1.42 million operating loss through June since
opening in May 2010. The Hall is owned and operated by the city of Charleston,
N.C. under license from NASCAR. . . . Meanwhile, the International
Motorsports Hall of Fame at Talladega Superspeedway is winnowing a list of
20 nominees for its Class of 2012. Those selected will be announced in the fall
and inducted in May. . . .
Still another hall of fame, the Motorsports Hall of Fame of America,
inducted its 2011 class in August: Donnie Allison, Roger McCluskey,
Bruce Penhall, Ed McCulloch, Augie Pabst and Ed Winfield.
Like the old-time "advance man" who plastered the town with posters and flyers
promoting a competition, contest, or other event, modern-day PR men too often
leave the journalist hanging when it comes to the results.
Cases in point: the
World Race 2011 replicating the 1908 race around the world. Slated to end
in Paris, July 21. Did we miss it? Or the Skills USA Championships in
Kansas City (MO. Or KA.) in June. Or will it be the Sept. 18 student competition
at the Palos Verdes Concours d'Elegance to be the fastest to correctly
disassemble and reassemble a small-block Chevy engine? Or The 4th
Annual New York Motorexpo in Lower Manhattan Sept. 18 to 23. It promises to
be "an (sic) vehicular extravaganza, " "fantastic" "the best ever" with "no tickets
and no lines." And will offer "unparalleled access to vehicles from many of the
world's top manufacturers with the chance to get behind the wheel and test
several of the very latest models."
AWCom's money is on the North American Mille Miglia Tribute,
completed in August but not likely to be heard from again until it is time to attract
cars for the next one. (Not to be confused
with the 21 year old, non-profit California Mille).
It has been a wait for 88-year-old Carroll Shelby
but his Shelby Cobra will be the featured marque at the Rolex Monterey
Motorsports Reunion August 17 -19, 2012.
Click here to comment online.
TOC |
lane changes |
 |
James Bell |
James Bell, most recently with Kelley Blue Book, is now
head of Consumer Affairs for General Motors. The move east made
it necessary for Bell to relinquish his post as president of the
L.A.-based Motor Press Guild. (Laura Burstein succeeded
him). With GM, Bell "will provide expertise on issues facing automotive
consumers. He will engage in rapid response news opportunities, regional
media events, and auto shows. James will also leverage his experience as
a blogger and commentator to represent GM and its brands on Facebook,
Twitter, and other outlets," according to GM spokeswoman Lori
Arpin. Other new GM PR assignments: Jay Cooney, returns from
GM Korea to direct Strategic Media Management and News Operation and
Ryndee Carney will manage the company's Business Media Strategy. She
will be the primary contact for business media interviews.
Frank Williams, former managing editor of The Truth About Cars,
is currently working as an industry consultant and technology analyst
for a government contractor in the DC area but is available for
freelance editorial assignments and reviews. He can be reached in
Acworth, Ga., at 678-200-2965 or:
usaffrank@juno.com. . . . Joanna Firestone has moved
from Auto Editor to Business Editor at The Detroit News. She can
be reached at:
jfirestone@detnews.com. No replacement for her previous post
has been named at this writing. She succeeds Susan Carney who
recently joined Burson Marsteller PR Agency. . . . Vince
Bodiford, publisher of The Weekend Drive, has moved from
Arizona to Seal Beach, CA in order to take on expanded
editing/publishing opportunities (See New Roads for more
details). His new cell phone Number is: 714-614-6790. Email:
Vince@theweekenddrive.com.
Snail mail goes to The Weekenddrive, P.O. Box 700, Seal Beach, CA,
90740.
Candace Beeke has replaced business editor Bill Schaddewald,
retired, at the Houston Business Journal. Her email is
cbeeke@bizjournal.com. . . .
Bill Wandner, a contributing editor for LACAR has a new
email: wjwandner@yahoo.com. . .
. Also with a new email is El Heraldo News editor Francisco
Rayo. It is:
editor@elheraldonews.com. Phone is 214-827-9700x102. . . . Carla
Torres has been replaced by Adam Yanelli as managing editor
and auto contact at The Baytown (TX) Sun. Email:
adam.yanelli@baytownsun.com.
. . . Art Nadler replaces Kristy Totten as Drive editor at
The Las Vegas Review Journal. Email:
anadler@reviewjournal.com.
Dennis Buterbaugh has departed WHTM-TV in Harrisburg, PA
and the station no longer has an automotive beat. . . . . Bill Enfield
has departed the Sacramento Bee and it, too, has no one covering
autos. . . . Likewise The Community Times Dispatch in Waterboro,
SC with the departure of Melissa Buckner. However they suggested
auto material be sent to:
colletonnewspapers@lowcountry.com. . . .Long-time Newark Star
Ledger auto contact Joe Perone left the paper to work for
Delta Airlines. Fortunately, Felipe Cabrera stepped in.
Email: fcabrera@starledger.com.
. . . Stephanie Steward stepped up when Kevin Tomlinson
stepped out at The Desert Sun in Palm Springs, CA. Email her
at:
stephanie.steward@thedesertsun.com.
TOC |
- 30- |

Glenn F. Campbell
Publisher
autowriters.com |
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CALENDAR |
September 2011 |
6-8 |
NAWPA: Run To The Sun, Tulalip, WA |
12 |
QATAR Motor Show: Luncheon, Frankfurt, Germany, Press
Meeting |
13 |
MPG: Luncheon, Torrance, CA, Toyota Museum |
13 |
MAMA: Luncheon, CATA Headquarters, Oakbrook Terrace, IL,
The Haartz Corp. |
13 |
NEMPA: Dinner, 5:30 p.m. Lars Anderson Museum of
Transportation, Brookline, MA. Nissan Ride ‘n Drive Versa and GT-R. |
14 |
WAJ: Dinner, So, San Francisco, CA, Jay Lamm |
21-22 |
IMPA: Test Days, Monticello Motor Club, Monticello, NY |
24 |
Ironstone Concours d'Elegance: Ironstone Winery, Murphys,
CA |
27-28 |
2nd Annual Electric Vehicle Safety Standards Summit:
Detroit, MI |
28 |
GAAMA: Luncheon, Atlanta, GA, Ford |
29 |
Texas State Fair Press Day: Dallas, TX |
29 |
TAWA : General Membership Meeting, TAWA Journalism
Scholarships and TAWA 2011 Autto Roundup Trophies presented |
30 |
NEMPA: Morning Tour, Colchester, CT, Consumer Reports |
October 2011 |
4 |
MAMA: Fall Rally, Manufacturer's Dinner, Hoffman Estates,
IL |
5 |
MAMA: Fall Rally, Hoffman Estates, IL |
10-13 |
CAR: The Business of Plugging In, Conference and
Ride-n-Drive, Dearborn, MI |
11 |
NEMPA: Dinner, Boston Globe, Shell Oil |
11-12 |
MPG Track Days, Fontana, CA |
20 |
APA/NADA Luncheon, MGM Grand Hotel, Detroit, MI |
20-22 |
TAWA Truck Rodeo, San Antonio, TX |
24 |
SAMA: Luncheon, Miami Beach, FL, SFADA |
25 |
APA: Detroit, MI, Consumer Reports |
25-27 |
The Battery Show: Novi, MI |
28 |
Media Day: South Florida Auto Show, Miami Beach, FL |
28 |
SAMA: Luncheon, Auto Show Awards |
29 |
Petersen Automotive Museum: Los Angeles, CA, Automotive
Authors, Book Fair |
November 2011 |
1-4 |
AAPEX and SEMA Shows: Las Vegas, Nevada |
8 |
NEMPA: TBA |
10 |
Petersen Automotive Museum: Los Angeles, CA, Phil Hill
Tribute |
16-17 |
Los Angeles Auto Show Press Days, Los Angeles, CA |
18-27 |
Los Angeles Auto Show Public Days, Los Angeles, CA |
30-12/01 |
Tokyo Motor Show Press Days: Japan |
December 2011 |
1-2 |
Int'l Autos Show of Bologna Press and Trade Days: Italy |
2-11 |
Tokyo Motor Show Public Days: Japan |
3-11 |
Int'l Autos Show of Bologna Public Days: Italy |
3 |
Petersen Automotive Museum: Garage Sale & Swap Meet |
13 |
NEMPA: Holiday Party, Boston Globe |
January 2012 |
9-10 |
North American International Auto Show Press Preview,
Detroit, MI |
11-12 |
International Auto Show Industry Preview, Detroit,
MI |
13 |
North American International Auto Show Charity Preview,
Detroit, MI |
14-22 |
North American International Auto Show Public Show,
Detroit, MI |
23-24 |
Qatar Motor Show Press Days: Doha, Qatar |
25-28 |
Qatar Motor Show Public Days: Doha Qatar |
25-26 |
Washington Auto Show Public Policy Days, Capitol Hill and
Convention Center |
February 2012 |
8-9 |
Chicago Auto Show Media Preview, Chicago, IL |
10-19 |
Chicago Auto Show Public Days, Chicago, IL |
TOC
|
motoring press organizations |
The 17 regional automotive press associations provide
information and background not easily found elsewhere. If they are too distant for you to attend their meetings,
belonging usually gives you access to transcripts or reports of
these events and other benefits.
AARWBA
 |
Automotive Auto Racing Writers & Broadcasters Association, Inc. -
Norma "Dusty" Brandel, President, Executive Director,
dusty@aarwba.org,
www.aarwba.org
|
APA
 |
Automotive Press Association, Detroit -
Joann Muller, President,
jmuller@forbes.com
www.autopressassociation.org
|
ARPA |
American Racing Press Association- Stan Clinton, President,
stanclintonarpa@aol.com,
americanracingpress.com
|
IMPA
 |
International Motor Press Association, NYC, Mike Spinelli, President -
info@impa.org,
www.impa.org
|
GAAMA
 |
Greater Atlanta Automotive Media Association
www.gaama.org
|
MAMA
 |
Midwest Automotive Media
Association, Chicago , IL-
www.mamaonline.org
|
MPG
 |
Motor Press Guild, Los Angeles -
www.motorpressguild.org
|
NEMPA
 |
New England Motor
Press Association, Boston, MA -
www.nempa.org
|
NWAPA
 |
Northwest
Automotive Press Association, Portland, OR, Jeff Zurschmeide,
President, j.zursch@gmail.com,
www.nwapa.org
|
PAPA
 |
Phoenix Automotive Press
Association, Phoenix, Cathy Droz, President-
drozadgal@aol.com
http://phoenixautopress.org/
|
RMAP
 |
Rocky Mountain Automotive Press, Denver -
www.rmapmedia.com
info@rmapmedia.com
|
SAMA
 |
Southern Automotive Media
Association, Miami FL, Paul Borden, President,
pborden41@yahoo.com
|
SEAMO
 |
Southeast
Automotive Media Organization, Charlotte, NC
www.southeastautomedia.org
|
TAWA
|
Texas Auto Writers Association
www.TexasAutoWriters.org, Mike Herzing,
mikeh@automotivereporter.com
|
TWNA
 |
Truck Writers
of North America, www.twna.org Tom Kelley, Executive Director,
tom.kelley@deadlinefactory.com
|
WAJ
 |
Western Automotive Journalists,
San Francisco - www.waj.org,
David Ray
dray@hookedondriving.com
|
WAPA |
Washington Automotive Press Association, D.C., Alvin Jones, President www.washautopress.org
|
|
TOC |
|
talk
back |
Glenn,
IMPA will be celebrating its 50th birthday (1961-2011) at the
annual Test Days dinner on Sept. 21 at Honors Haven in
Ellenville NY. IMPA is the nation's original motor press
association and we're kind of proud we've reached the big 5-0 in
good shape. Test Days (another original event, starting its 41st
year) is being moved from Pocono Raceway to the Monticello Motor
Club facility, Monticello, NY for both days (Sept. 21, 22) of
the program. We'll have all-new off-road courses created by the
team from Land Rover, and a new track to drive, as well as
routes on public roads. Driving privileges are for members only,
so if you want to attend, go to the website (
www.impa.org), click on
joining IMPA and send in your application pronto.
The birthday will include special take-home commemoratives and
special focus by a number of car companies, such as Chevy for
its 100th birthday and Volkswagen for its return to U.S.
production.
And our co-founder, Karl Ludvigsen, a member for all these
years, will be crossing the pond to attend.
As usual, should be fun, probably even more this year.
Paul Weissler
Paul_weissler@Yahoo.com
Correction: 06-2011 Autowriters.com Newsletter
"Google To Tag Content Creators; Get Paid With Bingo Games?"
To your credit, Glenn!
Thank you ... now and always,
Bob
bstorck@sprynet
I think this is really funny and I think you know where I stand
in this matter.
Andrew Frankl
ezremes@yahoo.com
Dear Glenn:
Well, I guess the summer heat has gotten to some people! Thanks
for your great newsletter and the information that you have been
sending out. Have a wonderful time off and I look forward to
reading your words again - when you return.
Susann Miller
M&M Publishing
www.porschebooks.org
You are a class act, Mr. Campbell. I really enjoy your
newsletter and can appreciate the amount of work it takes to
publish. Have a wonderful summer respite!
Cliff Fewel
AutoCouple and Pinal Ways Magazine
Hello Glenn,
A quick message with an observation and encouragement here to
you from one of your appreciative friends and a grateful
Autowriters.com reader.
Just reviewed the 'correction' email regarding the About.com
development and was impressed with the successful
neutral/professional tone of your response.
It seems to me that everybody has benefited through this by: (1)
the initial story referencing 'About.com' that brought the
perception of how About.com may be perceived by many in the
journalism field; (2) significance of Autowriters.com readership
regarding the content as notable, as well as the power and
impact of the immediate (Internet) feedback process; and (3)
value and efficiency of interactive journalism that is afforded
by the speed of the correction (including the clarification
points and expanded information) that has been accomplished
through the Autowriters.com community.
It is neat to see how something that could start with
potentially emotional expressions and somewhat opinionated views
can have a positive ending (like a discussion forum working at
best). Now I really do know a lot more 'about' About.com - and
welcomed learning more this way.
Hope this makes sense to you - if only as a 'Hello Glenn!' from
out here in your field of colleagues.
Best to you on the journey,
Steve
thecarguy@thecarguy.com
It was great of Glenn to send out an email today correcting this
mistake. It showed a lot of integrity on his part, especially
from one of those who was offended by the original statement.
Keith Griffin
About.Com Guide to Used Cars*
*And I don't think there is a writer alive who would write for
free about used cars as a vanity project.
Keith Griffin
kgriff1118@yahoo.com
"Is A Car A Mobile Device?"
Dave Strickland, you imbecile. To quote him
"A car is not a
mobile device... etc" Idiot. Car is a nickname for AUTOMOBILE,
yes, mobile is part of the name of the DEVICE you reference.
Moron.
Distraction? Yes, as if everything that you move past, along, in
front and behind of isn't distracting you from every other thing
you have to be aware of in passing along. Life is full of
distractions, like kids in the backseat, drinking a soft drink
while driving, changing the radio station, etc.
Jesse Bowers
Justacarguy.blogspot.com
jbohjkl@yahoo.com
"Time For An Evening News Product?"
I think Alan Mutter's on to something here. An evening digest of
the day's news delivered on a mobile platform makes tons of
sense.
Michael Hagerty
tirekickerblog@gmail.com
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