What's Next For Auto Action?

[Chris - Melb]

Originally Posted by david5

So your saying that if AA are doing an article on soething that happened before they were born, they shouldn't have to do research ?

Doesn't it worry you that some of the stuff that you read for your entertainment & education is wrong ?

I'm not saying they shouldn't do research to get right, but if they do happen to still get it wrong, no one else in the office is going to be any wiser to put them straight. Unless Aaron Noonan happens to be hanging around maybe.

Yes, it does annoy me when they get it wrong, I'm with you!

[Morris Dancer]

I've bought AA every week for the past couple of years. It seems that a short while ago - last year or 2010? - the features section was beefed up a fair bit. That was probably because motorsport fans want more than extended race reports now that TV does a much job than in the bad old days of know-nothing commentators like Mike Raymond and Gary Wilkinson.

Foges, who has been Australia's hardest hitting motorsport interviewer since the 1970s, is always worth a read.

[D.R.T.]

Originally Posted by Chris - Melb

I'm not saying they shouldn't do research to get right, but if they do happen to still get it wrong, no one else in the office is going to be any wiser to put them straight. Unless Aaron Noonan happens to be hanging around maybe.

What annoys me is how when corrected by humble readers, their complete indiference or attempted justification for their errors.

[racer69]

They don't do themselves any favours when in todays issue we have the Editor claiming certain cars to be something they're not in the interests of 'throwing an umbrella over variations', and then the Deputy Editor claiming he "hadn't really heard" of a Macau GP and Audi LMP1 winner.....(who said AA wasn't so V8 centric)...

[david5]

Says a lot for AA when Nissan/Kellys have a press release the day after AA is released.

[St00ge]

Originally Posted by david5

Says a lot for AA when Nissan/Kellys have a press release the day after AA is released.

Doesn't AA go to print at the start of the week anyway so I don't see what you're getting at really..

[david5]

Originally Posted by St00ge

Doesn't AA go to print at the start of the week anyway so I don't see what you're getting at really..

Once upon a time, race teams would have based their press releases around A A so the news would have maximum exposure, now its not even relevant.

[St00ge]

Originally Posted by david5

Once upon a time, race teams would have based their press releases around A A so the news would have maximum exposure, now its not even relevant.

maybe when motorsport got no TV time but I can't think of the last team to launch in AA..

[rik]

Originally Posted by david5

Says a lot for AA when Nissan/Kellys have a press release the day after AA is released.

Not sure why you feel the need to beat up AA?

But the world has changed with the rise of V8 TV coverage and internet media. You only have to look at the leaks that flowed out last night before the official release this morning. No way could AA or any other print publication keep it secret for several days.

While AA has it's short comings, I will be sad to see the day it dies. Then we all can turn to Mr Phelps to break the news and Speedcafe to regurgitate the press releases. Great result.

[david5]

Originally Posted by rik

Not sure why you feel the need to beat up AA?

Because it is a sad shell of it's former self. Because it gets it wrong week after week.

But I'll stop now.

[sizzle]

Originally Posted by david5

Because it is a sad shell of it's former self. Because it gets it wrong week after week.

But I'll stop now.

So your applying for the job of editor then are you?

You have all the criticisms do you have the fixes?

[Dingo]

There are no fixes. The demand for quality print journalism is rapidly declining thanks to the immediacy of the Internet. The mindset of the consumer has shifted from seeking out in-depth analysis that needs time and comprehension to be appreciated, to demanding the bare facts that can be absorbed in the few moments a day they have to keep themselves "informed". Throw into the mix the belief amongst many that the Internet and all its content should be free to everyone, and it's not hard to see the newsagencies becoming a relic within a handful of years.

While it's sad to see a bastion of reporting being forced to the brink, it's also sadly inevitable. And in an age where the cost of living is rising ever higher, and household budgets are being squeezed to the brink, the number of people who can afford the luxury of a magazine that has limited market appeal must also be shrinking. Eventually, someone will find a way of making a living from producing analysis that is both timely and relevant to an online market whose desire for the next Shiny! shows no sign of slaking... but who knows how long that will take? And is anyone willing to invest in such an undertaking in an uncertain landscape?

Summarised for the masses: "The current race fan only cares about the V8's he sees on the TV because that's all the motorsport he knows; what good does a newspaper telling him what he saw on TV do him?"

[david5]

Originally Posted by sizzle

So your applying for the job of editor then are you?

You have all the criticisms do you have the fixes?

Ahh the old "you do a better job then".

I don't want to fix it, run it or take peoples money. I just want it to be correct more often & cover more than the banner sports. It doesn't so I voted with my wallet, it seems I'm not alone.

[racer69]

Originally Posted by sizzle

You have all the criticisms do you have the fixes?

Alot of the criticisms have been about blatant factual errors , and in many cases the magazine just brushing them off.

[mountainstar]

Originally Posted by Dingo

There are no fixes. The demand for quality print journalism is rapidly declining thanks to the immediacy of the Internet. The mindset of the consumer has shifted from seeking out in-depth analysis that needs time and comprehension to be appreciated, to demanding the bare facts that can be absorbed in the few moments a day they have to keep themselves "informed". Throw into the mix the belief amongst many that the Internet and all its content should be free to everyone, and it's not hard to see the newsagencies becoming a relic within a handful of years.

While it's sad to see a bastion of reporting being forced to the brink, it's also sadly inevitable. And in an age where the cost of living is rising ever higher, and household budgets are being squeezed to the brink, the number of people who can afford the luxury of a magazine that has limited market appeal must also be shrinking. Eventually, someone will find a way of making a living from producing analysis that is both timely and relevant to an online market whose desire for the next Shiny! shows no sign of slaking... but who knows how long that will take? And is anyone willing to invest in such an undertaking in an uncertain landscape?

Summarised for the masses: "The current race fan only cares about the V8's he sees on the TV because that's all the motorsport he knows; what good does a newspaper telling him what he saw on TV do him?"

People are always into the latest fad and while digital media is taking over a big part of the market, I don't think it's over yet for printed materials. As a car and motorsport magazine nerd, I appreciate the portability, ease of shipment and ease of storage/saving that digital media provides. However in many respects I have done an about face, as I find it's just not the same as looking at it on the printed page.

Also I find many of the blogs and news sites online are great, but I need more than Twitter type news reports and I still have a high demand for good in depth features. Also I like to be able to take a newspaper or magazine in with me to a restaurant to read or any other place and don't want to stare into an Ipad to do so.

What it comes down to is printed media has to adjust to the marketplace.

Locally where I live, a few years ago the local newspaper decided to do a monthly magazine loaded with great in depth features and pictures. It has been hugely successful for them, winning awards and allowing them to broaden it's distribution and coverage. The clincher is that it is free, supported almost totally by advertisers with a small trade in mail subscriptions. You can pick it up at any major retail or restaurant business locally and it is widely read.

Same thing back when I lived in a tourist town and the daily paper was struggling. They went to an advertiser supported business model and have done well.

So, that may not be the answer for everyone but I still think there is room out there for print materials, just that they have to adjust to the marketplace.

I think Motorsport E-News would have still be here had not they gone to a ponderous weekly model, but instead published a quickie daily or 3 times weekly downloadable pdf and in an online reader that would be 20 pages or so long, advertiser and classified supported. You'd have a section with the latest news from around the motorsport world, rumors and gossip, one analysis editorial, one feature and that's it. On some days you'd have the latest race reports and allow race reports down to the club level to be submitted.

Short, simple, easy to read on a daily basis, easy to print and up to date. You'd fill out the rest of the space with ads and classifieds.

[formerf1champ]

Originally Posted by GTRMagic

I cant believe that AA has fallen to such a volume level. 10,214 weekly readers (on average) audited

ACP also owns Australian Motorcycle News, which is a bi-weekly magazine, that manages to find 21,009 purchasers every fortnight, in what you might consider to be a less popular subject.

I don't buy AMN. What are the differences, in quality, between these magazines? The figures alone are a reflection that AF have lost the plot. No way should a motorbike magazine should have higher circulation figures than the leading car racing magazine

Originally Posted by GTRMagic

And perhaps on a more positive note... what could they do to improve the AA magazine?

As far as the actual magazine is concerned, would it be a big deal if they just went back to black and white print and improved the quality of the content? Not for me.

I think it'd be much better if they had less decent sized photos per page, instead of using dozens of 2cm by 2cm photos. Just use the better action shots or relevant car/driver.

As far as the quality of content and journalism is concerned, this is a reflection of culture within the magazine, specifically, what the people running the magazine allow. Those people have to go.

[PVDA]

Originally Posted by formerf1champ

I don't buy AMN. What are the differences, in quality, between these magazines? The figures alone are a reflection that AF have lost the plot. No way should a motorbike magazine should have higher circulation figures than the leading car racing magazine

AMCN is a true magazine rather than a thing halfway between a newspaper and magazine that AA is.

It covers all forms of two wheel stuff from Roadracing/Motocross/Supercross/Enduro/Speedway/Off Road from overseas and local from GP's to club events. It caters for a wide audience so would attract more readers

AA is 75% V8's (how often is a non V8 on the cover) so limits the pool of people who might show an interest.

Plus AMCN has a photo with me in the latest edition which would no doubt boost circulation

[formerf1champ]

Originally Posted by PVDA

Plus AMCN has a photo with me in the latest edition which would no doubt boost circulation

I'm off to the newsagent right now!

[sizzle]

Originally Posted by formerf1champ

As far as the quality of content and journalism is concerned, this is a reflection of culture within the magazine, specifically, what the people running the magazine allow. Those people have to go.

where incorrect spelling, grammar, etc, are an accepted fact of life.

[GTRMagic]

Originally Posted by sizzle

where incorrect spelling, grammar, etc, are an accepted fact of life.

Speedcafe would be the first to admit that sometimes they need a tune up in this area... I know its pedantic but there is a difference between 'affect' & 'effect' and 'their' 'there' and 'they're' and similar...

Microsoft Word will only save you so far

[sizzle]

Originally Posted by sizzle

where incorrect spelling, grammar, etc, are an accepted fact of life.

Hmm, the first bit which said "Isn't that a reflection on modern times" disappeared.

[PVDA]

Originally Posted by PVDA

AA is 75% V8's (how often is a non V8 on the cover) so limits the pool of people who might show an interest.

Well bugger me.



I cant see any V8Supercar pics or words on this weeks cover (although Ambrose is an ex V8Supercar driver).

[formerf1champ]

Have they been reading this thread?