AutoWeek blatantly flaunts their ties to Toyota
We weren't really impressed by the mugshot laden "blog" AutoWeek ran for the Detroit Auto Show. Now we're almost
floored by the blog of Dutch Mandel, editor and associate publisher of AutoWeek. In his first post, he clearly states
he's on the take…uh we mean, well just go read
his post and you'll be mildly
amused by his "transparency." In blogging we use that word to show we have no ties to our sources in any way. It also
means we clearly tell readers who are advertisers are etc. Dutch is being transparent too. He's clearly saying Toyota
is paying his way to Geneva and that some of the other three bloggers probably are being flown over by other companies.
So readers need to keep in mind that there might be rose tinted glasses all around. WOW! At least no one's hiding the
fact anymore. And just to remind everyone: no one paid for Autoblog to go to
Detroit or
Chicago nor New York later in the month.
Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)
Jean Verbeck 10:59PM (12/18/2005)
HI Guys, we fully agree, bloggers should be independant, that is the essence of blogging as opposed to some of the mainstream media out there... We at http://www.Leblogauto.com will be covering the show at our own expense and have already started early today with full press accreditations. If you are not making the trip over, please feel free to use both content and pictures, live from the show floor (courtesy of leblogauto.com of course :)
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KT 10:59PM (12/18/2005)
Did the guy on the take say the Lexus was the first hybrid SUV? I thought Ford had one? (sarcasm)
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bob 10:59PM (12/18/2005)
Sadly there isn't an obvious link on the page to send in a complaint. And yes, the first paragraph is just scary (in terms of factoids):
he says:
"Lexus just announced pricing for its RX400h, the world's first hybrid sport utility vehicle. The number is $48,535, which, considering the amenities and equipment, is very darn competitive."
so the inaccuracies are: 1: it's not the first and 2: it sure isn't darn competitive pricewise, the wife just got an XC90 and the 2nd choice was the RX330 but it just wasn't as nice as the Volvo. (in her opinion), I can't imagine that adding 10k to the price will make up for the issues she had.
Although I tend to be an early adopter in the gadget arena I'm giving the hybrids at least 3 years to see what happens long term (I tend to keep my cars > 5 years anyway).
and thanks Jean for the link to your site..
bob
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Conan the Grammarian 10:59PM (12/18/2005)
I read the piece and didn't think the disclosure was "blatant" or "flaunt[ing]" in the least. The content was perhaps sensational, but that doesn't mean the style was. It was merely an admission. Not a great way to shine journalism's light on others...
Re the RX400h, no doubt Mandel left out a word from the Lexus handbook: they often describe it as "the world's first *luxury* hybrid SUV". I almost want to give him credit for taking the graft but then flubbing his lines.
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Joshua Gliddon 10:59PM (12/18/2005)
Hi, this is interesting. In Australia it's quite common for auto-makers to fly journos to auto shows. I'm a journalist.
It's also quite common in the tech industry.
The justification is that publishers here won't pay to fly their writers anywhere, and so the auto companies have to step into the breach. One publisher has a policy prohibiting this behaviour, but I've got a feeling that this rule is quietly ignored.
I take it that this is uncommon in the US?
Josh Gliddon
http://bulletin.ninemsn.com.au
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David Thomas 10:59PM (12/18/2005)
I think it's where you want to draw the line. Many newspapers keep their transportation/cars section separate from editorial (they're under the guise of the advetising dept. even if it looks like a news section). Autoblog started as a transparent outlet of information and we hope to keep it that way. Just becuase we have auto advertisers doesn't mean they pay any of the bloggers directly. They certainly don't fly us anywhere etc.
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