|
||||||||||||
|
||||||||||||
27 Feb 2018, 07:29 (Ref:3804196) | #51 | ||
Veteran
Join Date: Mar 2003
Posts: 1,814
|
Morning all,
Thought I'd jump on and reply to a few points before we finish this week's mag. Thank you for the comments, some positive, some constructive, though obviously I find peebee's position frustrating. I suspect if you counted mag covers last year you would find Mercedes and Ferrari to be the most prolific because they were doing the winning. I need to confirm it with the web team, but I also believe the McLaren launch got the most traffic over the last week, so there is an interest out there. Surely we all want McLaren (and Red Bull) to do well so there is more of a battle at the front? Before I go on, there will be a McLaren on this week's cover too, but hopefully the image may amuse... Right, I'll try and cover off a few comments briefly otherwise this will get a tad long! - Mag size. Yes, I can't deny it has got gradually smaller over the years , with a few exceptions (for example, the last two Christmas double issues have been the biggest for years). However, I am hoping to do as many free supplements as possible this year, whether they be Engineering, Performance or Historics. They give the journos more space, mean we can do slightly different things, give the reader more and (for boring internal reasons I won't go into) don't normally affect my page budget. If you have any ideas for supplements, please let me know, although the ideas part tends not to be the problem! - peebee is correct to say that reading/rewriting press releases is not journalism. All the youngsters are encouraged to source their own news and to do follow-up phone calls to releases where possible. There are two caveats: 1. Sometimes, because a team or series wants to control things, we can't get comment/info, even if we know something is happening. That means we either have to jump the gun with half-information (not good) or wait until teams/series etc are ready (not good, but at least it usually mean better accuracy). 2. Many more teams and series are better at PR now. So, whereas before someone might have just rung me (or whoever) to get a story out through Autosport (or A N Other), now they send out a release to everyone. Journalism isn't dead, it's just harder to make that obvious. - Ferrari. Its approach to the media has been frustrating, though we are hoping that will change. That said, we'll still run pieces on Ferrari (for obvious reasons) when we can. For example, Ben Anderson spent months tracking people down for the Kimi Raikkonen cover piece last August, and then also got Kimi late on, so he was able to do a really good article on him. Similarly, we try to use the contacts we have to find out what is happening at the team, even if they are not putting out official information. - chunder. I can assure you the people who don't care about motorsport are long gone when it comes to the editorial team. As you point out, this line of work is not going to make us rich, so those left now tend to be the people who really love it. In fact, one of the pluses of the past couple of years has been seeing the next wave of enthusiastic youngsters starting out. Typing that makes me feel old! - News. It's probably worth pointing out that the news online and in print is diverging. Obviously online is instant, but the .com team have modified what they cover and how they cover things with all the data they get. So some stories might seem light but you'd be surprised (and in some cases probably disappointed) about which stories get big traffic and which do not. The mag is a bit different and that's why the P&P section tends to have a bit more analysis or opinion than just straight news. I try and view it as 'what are the essential and most interesting motorsport stories from the past week' that someone who is not clicking on the website every five minutes needs/wants to know. - Off-season. Interestingly, although there isn't a lot happening at times during the winter, I enjoy the mags then because it gives us space to do retrospective pieces (we did a six-page Bernd Rosemeyer piece in the Feb 1 issue, for example), interviews, bigger features etc. Annoyingly, until the F1 testing season starts, they tend not to sell as well, which I think is an indicator of just how dominant F1 has become in terms of motorsport exposure/wider coverage. One final point. I notice the 1984 retro special last August has come in for criticism. All I will say is that it is not reprinting of old stories. In fact, those issues are some of the most difficult to put together as we chase people from the time and try to uncover new stories/views on what happened. However, those issues (which did quite well when we first introduced them) often get criticised along similar lines and are marginal when it comes to sales, so we will probably stop doing them, at least when it comes to focusing on one particular season. Ok, back to the mag! Thanks again and enjoy the racing season, wherever that takes you. Best regards, Kevin |
||
|
27 Feb 2018, 09:34 (Ref:3804217) | #52 | ||
Veteran
Join Date: Oct 2011
Posts: 5,923
|
Thanks, Kevin, for taking the time out to respond. Long may Autosport continue.
|
||
|
27 Feb 2018, 09:52 (Ref:3804219) | #53 | |
Registered User
Racer
Join Date: Apr 2013
Posts: 277
|
Just like to say that late last year I cancelled my Plus subscription because 90% of the articles were F1 (it was actually 15 out of the last 15 when I cancelled I believe) and as a motorsport rather than F1 fan that was just too much of a bias for me.
I emailed the editorial team at the time and told them why I was not renewing and thought nothing more of it. Over the next few months there was a definite change in articles with RX, Indy, GT and BTCC being featured amongst others. No idea if it was a coincidence or not but I like to think they listened and as such I cancelled the cancellation (!) and set my subscription to renew. In general I'm not a fan of the new type of "reel them in" free stories that are on the website a lot these days but then I am fast approaching 60 so I seriously doubt I'm the target market. Given that we live in a world where people expect everything for free (especially journalism) is it any wonder they have to push those types of articles? |
|
|
27 Feb 2018, 15:27 (Ref:3804309) | #54 | |
Veteran
Join Date: Jul 2013
Posts: 18,731
|
Thanks Kevin for that, it must be a hard job trying to please everybody, especially considering what you're working with. Keep up the good work.
|
|
__________________
He who dares wins! He who hesitates is lost! |
7 Mar 2018, 15:11 (Ref:3806638) | #55 | ||
Veteran
Join Date: Jun 1999
Posts: 860
|
Every third issue has either McLaren or Alonso on the cover. The new car issue was a joke; new Ferrari & Mercedes, yet the McLaren gets priority? It's as if in 1988 the McLaren, Ferrari and Arrows all came out at the same time, but the Autosport headline was about the 1988 Arrows. LOL
|
||
|
7 Mar 2018, 15:14 (Ref:3806639) | #56 | |
Veteran
Join Date: Dec 2009
Posts: 3,431
|
It’s a joke. I’ve cancelled my subscription. I’m not paying good money for endless releases I can get from the team for nothing.
|
|
|
7 Mar 2018, 17:54 (Ref:3806675) | #57 | ||
Veteran
Join Date: Jun 1999
Posts: 860
|
But, I do love the retro issues like 1984 season from last August, CART special, Jackie Stewart, Group B, etc. Those are the ones I’d keep for ever. Also, keep the Rob Wilson, engineering sections, etc. in the USA the issues arrive in the shops on Mondays now, which is an improvement from a few years ago.
|
||
|
7 Mar 2018, 19:11 (Ref:3806684) | #58 | |||
14th
1% Club
Join Date: Jul 2001
Posts: 44,151
|
Quote:
|
|||
__________________
Brum brum |
7 Mar 2018, 19:12 (Ref:3806686) | #59 | ||
14th
1% Club
Join Date: Jul 2001
Posts: 44,151
|
|||
__________________
Brum brum |
7 Mar 2018, 20:55 (Ref:3806707) | #60 | ||
Veteran
Join Date: Dec 2009
Posts: 3,431
|
Quote:
|
||
|
7 Mar 2018, 21:23 (Ref:3806712) | #61 | ||
14th
1% Club
Join Date: Jul 2001
Posts: 44,151
|
When I cancelled my subscription c.2010 I wrote a letter telling them why! |
||
__________________
Brum brum |
7 Mar 2018, 21:30 (Ref:3806714) | #62 | |
Veteran
Join Date: Dec 2009
Posts: 3,431
|
If you did that today they’d probably respond with an email telling you how positive Alonso feels for the season ahead despite the recent teething “challenges.”
|
|
|
8 Mar 2018, 09:54 (Ref:3806806) | #63 | ||
Registered User
Racer
Join Date: Apr 2013
Posts: 277
|
Quote:
You seem determined to ignore every fact presented to you just to grind your axe. |
||
|
8 Mar 2018, 12:06 (Ref:3806826) | #64 | |
Race Official
Veteran
Join Date: Dec 1998
Posts: 16,760
|
first one to create a plug in for safari that removes mclaren stories from the autosport site wins a beer
i will settle for a temporary fix that replaced “mclaren” with “puppies”. |
|
__________________
devils advocate in-chief and professional arguer of both sides |
10 Mar 2018, 19:39 (Ref:3807265) | #65 | ||
Veteran
Join Date: Jun 1999
Posts: 860
|
I have a feeling that this thread might be the reason this week's issue doesn't mention McLaren's struggles on the cover.....
|
||
|
10 Mar 2018, 20:25 (Ref:3807271) | #66 | |||
Veteran
Join Date: Mar 2003
Posts: 969
|
Do Autosport (or their owners) supply the BBC web site with F1 news? It may be the reason that they didn't go with Ferrari topping the times but instead the headline was...
Quote:
|
|||
__________________
I haven't got a life, just an anorak. |
11 Mar 2018, 02:25 (Ref:3807302) | #67 | |
Rookie
Join Date: Mar 2018
Posts: 7
|
The none F1 things are my favorite bits in Autosport; Daytona 24, BTCC, Performance & Engineering specials, Rally, etc, etc. All the F1 I could get from motorsport.com anyways. I buy it twice, maybe 3-times a month, but always when there is the performance insert! They sell it for $10 with tax in Phoenix.
|
|
|
11 Mar 2018, 10:24 (Ref:3807329) | #68 | |
Veteran
Join Date: Jul 2013
Posts: 18,731
|
Still have to buy this week's one due to the free calendar stickers
|
|
__________________
He who dares wins! He who hesitates is lost! |
11 Mar 2018, 10:32 (Ref:3807331) | #69 | ||
Veteran
Join Date: Oct 2011
Posts: 5,923
|
|||
|
11 Mar 2018, 11:39 (Ref:3807345) | #70 | ||
Veteran
Join Date: Nov 2000
Posts: 8,298
|
Haven't bought it for years
Even the Xmas ones. Full of faff and fluff to be honest Decent journalism died a long, long time ago. Mags are now a publishers thing, not editorially led. |
||
|
11 Mar 2018, 12:13 (Ref:3807348) | #71 | ||
14th
1% Club
Join Date: Jul 2001
Posts: 44,151
|
It surprises me that you have a negative opinion on this, it’s not like you.
|
||
__________________
Brum brum |
11 Mar 2018, 12:14 (Ref:3807349) | #72 | ||
14th
1% Club
Join Date: Jul 2001
Posts: 44,151
|
|||
__________________
Brum brum |
11 Mar 2018, 13:57 (Ref:3807360) | #73 | |
Race Official
Veteran
Join Date: Dec 1998
Posts: 16,760
|
with that in mind (and being completely serious) isn’t it about time they brought their plus subscribers a digital version of the calendar stickers? come on guys, i’m way too lazy to add it all myself
|
|
__________________
devils advocate in-chief and professional arguer of both sides |
11 Mar 2018, 15:08 (Ref:3807365) | #74 | ||
Veteran
Join Date: Nov 2000
Posts: 8,298
|
I unfortunately can remmebre when magazines were full of editorial, loads o different features, long articles.
Magazines now are largely full of fluff. So i stopped buying them. Nothing negative about that, just simple fact, but hey never let a username get int he way of your point |
||
|
11 Mar 2018, 18:13 (Ref:3807382) | #75 | ||
Veteran
Join Date: Apr 2016
Posts: 957
|
No doubt - but let's not fall too deeply into the good old days nostalgia - remember Bill Boddy's interminable' Wartime diary of an RFC officer ' or the snorefest that was his ' Cars in books ' series ? And let's not even start on the tedium of Autosport reports of the Castrol Motor Club quiz series ...
But I do so wish that we had somebody even half as good as Pete Lyons writing Grand Prix reports... |
||
|
|
|
Similar Threads | ||||
Thread | Thread Starter | Forum | Replies | Last Post |
Autosport writes...Again! | Sparky | Touring Car Racing | 33 | 3 Jun 2000 14:24 |
Autosport writes!! | kmchow | Touring Car Racing | 18 | 19 May 2000 22:47 |
Autosport Show - NEC | WoodyTJ | Trackside | 17 | 16 Jan 2000 20:36 |
POST AUTOSPORT SHOW CHAT SESSION | Lorna | Cool Sites | 4 | 15 Jan 2000 11:54 |