FUEL FOR THOUGHT

CHANGING LANES

SIGNS OF THE TIMES

AUTOWRITERS SPOTLIGHT

BACKFIRES

Blogs - In the aggressive style of his "The Truth About Cars" E-Newsletter, Robert Farago challenged the words used as well as his interpretation of what they said about "blogs" in the November Autowriters.Com Newsletter. He believes: "Blogs will face the same shaking out process experienced by the newspaper industry at the turn of the last century. Good ones will thrive, bad ones will wither. If anything is going to break-up the craven, unconscionable, unspoken collusion between the trade media and car manufacturers, it's the web.". . . Terry Parkhurst believes that any medium is only as good as the person doing the writing. That is why he continues to subscribe to Car and Driver; citing writers Brock Yates, Patrick Bedard and Barry Winfield as knowing their stuff and writing so well. . . . Peter DuPre of AutoWord Communications believes that established media and writers should fight fire with fire: He says, "While it is true that today's computer geek generation (under 30) sees blogs as a valid and vital source of information, it is also true that many blogs are just the opinionated rantings of uneducated and uniformed people who are trying to gain personal status, often at the expense of accuracy. I believe that we autowriters need to counter this with a series of (our) own blogs. Every magazine with a website should also sponsor a blog. Individual autowriters who have their own blogs should bolster the legitimacy of their blog with a professional bio, links to their published online articles and lists of print media where their byline regularly appears.". . . The Los Angeles Times reportedly gave up its blog after a few days because of nasty and pornographic postings. Instead, they offered one of their columnists the opportunity to maintain a blog. The results (and insults) are being tabulated. A number of corporations are encouraging their employees to blog. IBM's blogger-in-chief says, "It expands our reputation, perceptions and relationships … at the same time expanding the number of people we can learn from."

Paydays - Payment for multiple uses of an author's, (reporter, commentator) words brought this information from the aforementioned Parkhurst: The U.S. Supreme Court in Tasini vs The New York Times said writers should indeed be compensated for additional uses of their words. It is a subject of increasing concern with media conglomerates now sharing content among the print, cable, TV, internet, DVD outlets they control. Steve Parker, a.k.a. The Car Nut, notes that some radio and TV stations with shared ownership expect talent signed by one station to do work for the others. Even more aggravating is not getting paid for work performed for a single medium. Autowriters.Com was asked if any of the Motoring Press Associations provide assistance along those lines. Not that we could determine. However, the National Writers Union (www.nwu.org) maintains a Writer Alert page on which it lists unscrupulous and unethical publishers (as determined by a pattern of behavior and complaints). An NWU Grievance Officer can advise in handling a dispute or negotiate directly on a member's behalf. The Grievance Officers are unpaid volunteers. They handle about 100 cases per year, winning 85% of them. Every NWU local has its own Grievance Officer(s) and they are the backbone of the NWU's grievance structure. National Grievance Officers coordinate, advise, and train the local officers and assist them with difficult cases. NWU membership Annual dues are $95 for writers making less than $5,000 per year an increase to $260 for those making $50,000 or more.

Former Automotive News staffer and now correspondent Laura Clark Geist is coming out with a book in May called "Praying Through Cancer" (W Publishing). She writes: "It is a Christian inspirational book. I wouldn't mind if you could mention it in your autowriters round up of what everyone is doing. I know that the book has nothing to do with the auto industry…but it's an interesting item. Several members of the automotive fraternity have been impacted by the disease.". . The Auto Channel is concluding its 10th year online later this winter and plans "an exciting array of changes, updates and what we think is exciting news about our future" executive vice president Mark Rauch messages. One of the very first omnibus automotive web sites, The Auto Channel has prevailed against many better-known names and better bank-rolled sites to top all of them in average number of daily users per million Internet users for the three months ended November 1. Starting with little more than an idea, the channel has become a comprehensive resource for just about all aspects of autodom. . . . .To help Honda and Acura dealers "improve their business processes and offer best practices," American Honda, in collaboration with Tendo Communications has introduced Blue Sky. The quarterly magazine's content revolves around three themes: customer experience, business efficiency, and market development. . . . Road & Track Gear will not print after the December/ January issue and likewise for Road & Track Speed after the January/ February issue. . . . Now that the National Motorist title has been put to rest after 81 years, its former editor, Tom Inglesby, has started what he terms "a nostalgia travel" web site: American-Motorist.com. On it he will compare reviews, destinations and other old-time car related articles with their modern-day counterparts. For example, he posts a 1942 Chrysler review with one he did this year on the 300C and plans to contrast a 1924 Niagara Falls tour guide with a visit there this year. He's purchased a load of 1910 to 1940-motoring and travel magazines to implement the idea. . . . Peter Aylett has previewed some impressive 3D car art by British car designer Don Baker on his web site: www.carartinc.com . . . The vacuum has been turned off at Primedia and titles once sucked up are now being shred. Reports have it selling 11 titles, splitting into two divisions and more titles slated to be sold or revised. Primedia is said to be $1.4 billion in debt and at $1.95 per share, its stock down 49%. Perhaps this is why a company human resources executive declined an updated list of its California editorial staff, saying "it would be a shopping list for head-hunters.". . . . Golf Magazine Living, a new semi-annual luxury lifestyle magazine from Time Media will include automobiles in its coverage of the rich and richer . . .When Lee Iacocca won his second Time Man of The Year Honor, a condition when receiving the honor was that it could not be exploited in advertising and promotion - much to the dismay of company executives seeking ways to help the then beleaguered Chrysler. Now Chrysler is sponsor of the Time Magazine promotion.

12.15.05

IMPA's speaker is Beth Lowery,Vice President, GM Environment and Energy.

12.15-16.05

SEAMO Holiday Ride & Drive, Braselton, GA

12.21.05

WAPA, Washington DC

01.09.06

APA's Welcome Reception toasts international media representatives covering the North American International Auto Show.