April 24th, 2009 
Journo I was prompted to write this post by a New York Times article sent to me by a colleague the other day. The article, J-Schools Play Catchup, was about the rush by journalism schools around the country to adapt to the changing media landscape. The moral of the story is, if you are a journalist or journalism student right now is a great time to be an entrepreneur because jobs in traditional media are disappearing. I couldn’t help but think how applicable this is to the NASCAR media.
In the heyday of NASCAR media it was the newspaper reporters who reigned supreme. They were the most respected and most powerful voices in the garage.
Though as the years have progressed NASCAR-only reporters at major newspapers have been severely cut back and almost eliminated. In the last couple of years as debt ridden media giants have been looking for ways to cut back it was easy to cut that expense from the bottom line. If you don’t believe me ask Mike Mulhern, or Jim Pedley. Their newspapers could no longer justify their cost.
As we progress through 2009 a lot of these high profile journalists are vulnerable in their present positions. The McClatchy Co. as an example, owner of the Miami Herald, Raleigh News & Observer and Charlotte Observer among others, reported first quarter losses of $37.5 million. The company has about $2 billion in debt and is facing a delisting from the New York Stock Exchange.
While big layoffs have already hit McClatchy newspapers, there will surely be many more before the end of the year. So far in the last year hundreds of jobs have been cut from the Charlotte Observer; without a doubt McClatchy’s biggest reporter of NASCAR news. If its sister papers are any indication the sports section is vulnerable.
Now don’t get me wrong NASCAR is important to the Observer but having multiple reporters covering the sport, or having one person devoted to it full time like David Poole is, is going to quickly become a thing of the past.
As these newspaper jobs become non-existent many of these reporters are having to turn to the Internet; MikeMulhern.net, Racin’ Today.com, JerryBonkowski.com. This has got to be/surely will be a hit to the outstanding hubris of some of these unnamed reporters (none of those linked above included).
The fact of the matter is the Internet is the future of NASCAR news. From Foxsports.com, to ESPN.com and beyond, they are at the forefront of news and rumors, getting info out far in advance of any newspaper or TV program.
As an interesting aside, yesterday a Web site called CaptainThunderRacing.com wrote about crew chief swap rumors over at Hendrick. What was interesting about this was not so much the rumor but the snarky denial story from ESPN.com. The writer for ESPN’s Insider section called the Web site an “upstart, cottage industry Web site” (speaking of hubris).
First I find it interesting ESPN’s paid rumor section is blasting a Web site for writing about a rumor. Since ESPN has never been wrong in the rumor department or just plain factually incorrect. Second, I believe ESPN was once an upstart, cottage industry network. If this isn’t the pot calling the kettle black I don’t know what is.
So back to my post, while it may be true these Web sites are “upstart” and “cottage industry” they are often beating bigger news outlets, with far more resources, to news stories.
I think the biggest challenge facing NASCAR journalists is what this means for their own voice. Can you now editorialize and still remain objective? ESPN’s David Newton wrote a blog post the other day about the “Junior Rules.” The guys and gals over at NASCAR Scene blog their opinion all the time and so does David Poole.
Covering sports is a different game, but that being said it is still important to keep some thoughts close to the vest. You really risk burning bridges across the sport by writing stupid things. I know a lot of PR people in the sport have reporter blacklists (though they may not easily admit it). Writing a snarky or nasty blog post about a driver or team is an easy way to plant the seeds of mistrust and work your way on to one of those lists.
The Internet is a great tool and an easy way to make your voice heard, but it needs to be used very carefully.
I don’t know what the future of NASCAR media will be. Perhaps it is on some platform we have yet to think of. But I know it’s not newspapers. And I know if the Internet is the future everyone is going to have to figure out some way to make money from it.
Any thoughts?
Related posts:
Posted in 
Tags: 
If the print edition of the Observer goes away, that doesn’t mean Poole’s job will go away. Though far from being the #1 media website in the market (WSOCTV.com holds that title!), I’m guessing that charlotteobserver.com makes more ad revenue than the print Observer. There’s tons of money to be made on the web. Quality of blogging and reporting will weed out the good from the bad.
Speaking as one of those media members, you are absolutely right in how the “mighty have fallen.” But even that hubris is coming from a few other places in the media center. I won’t name names, per se, but I know that a certain website shares that “holier than thou” attitude that was once so pervasive from the newspaper vets.
However, there’s one other important item you overlooked in terms of who’s doing the coverage. One of the things I have noticed is that with very few exceptions, the age of most of the media who cover NASCAR is getting up there, and there are few young or minority faces amongst them. When I started a decade ago, I was one of the only ones in Fontana that was both young and a minority. I have seen few changes since then, but I’ve watched as my mentors, like Shav Glick and Mike Hollander of Racing Info. Systems, pass on, while there were very few new faces showing up.
It makes you wonder what will happen to the coverage if ISC and SMI don’t start to adapt as well and start to recognize these new startups as the next wave of coverage.
Speaking personally, I’m following in the footsteps of Jerry and Mike and the guys at Racin’ Today, because let’s face it, they’ve seen the future of the sport’s coverage.
Personally, the only Nascar reporter I can stand or even pay attention to is Marty Smith, that is why I watch Nascar Now daily.
As for Nascar related websites, this one is the only one I look at anymore. You guys have the information I am looking for without all the crap that goes along with it on the other sites.
The day Nascar.com changed to a new site format yet again was the last day I went there. It’s a joke.
I’m glad I’m not the only one that noticed the ESPN story about the Hendrick’s crew swap rumor. I first found it on Jayski. Basically they have taken the website they purchased to legitimize their own sub par online racing coverage and used it to attack the sources of the content they rely on. Sounds like a solid business strategy.
[...] The NASCAR Insiders: The Future of NASCAR Media “The moral of the story is, if you are a journalist or journalism student right now is a great time to be an entrepreneur because jobs in traditional media are disappearing. I couldn’t help but think how applicable this is to the NASCAR media.” [...]
I get 100% of my NASCAR news & info from online & from Speed Channel. Online I only faithfully look at two sites though, TNI & Jayski. I only visit other sites if I see an interesting link on the above two. I’ll check out truckseries.com once in a while also. I used to visit NASCAR.com but since Marty Smith left I can count on one hand the times I’ve visited.
This blog has easily become my favorite…you are most informative…honest…& well just plain good! I appreciate you addressing a journalist’s opinion vs. fact. There is WAY too much in NASCAR disguised as fact when in reality it is opinion.
I agree with another person’s comment re: Marty Smith….He & well you guys are the only thing worth reading!
Thanks for what you do!
There are a number of sites I visit regularly, and a bunch more that I find with a search on a specific topic and visit occasionally.
As race coverage (and main-stream news, for that matter) becomes more and more decentralized, I’m really concerned with the accuracy of the reporting. Without the financial resources and research staff of a newspaper, radio station, or other broadcast media, I fear even more disinformation will be given credibility without deserving it.
I worked for 25 years on software systems for newspapers and other print media. Many of us building IT systems tried to convince the decsion makers in the major media to embrace the web – we were pretty much ignored. Had they opened their eyes 10 or 15 years ago, newspapers would own the internet now. Unfortunately, they couldn’t see beyond their precious classified sections – you know, that big thick part of the paper that you don’t see anymore.
I admire the web pioneers who are trying to fill the void now. I only hope they can find a way to make enough money to do the reporting justice. It’s a lot more than just good writing and having an interesting opinion (though that does help). The ingrained knowledge of an organization, and the research that a well funded organization can afford is what has traditionally made newspapers the leaders in NASCAR, other sports, and general news reporting. We will all loose a lot when that goes away, and it is happening soon.
One thing that newspapers and the majority of those at the Evil Empire (ESPN) have in common is arrogance – and in more and more cases an emphasis on the story regardless of the facts. I really do enjoy your site. I find much more openmindedness and a variety of views on what I would call the independent sites than on those of the TV networks and newspapers. I have found a big improvement in the news reporting on NASCAR.com in the last year or so and it is one of the very few mainstream sites that ever allows an issue to be covered in more than 700 to 800 words. Thanks for your site and keep up the good work.
I get all of my news on the net now. I like the instant access to anything and everything, but wait for a ‘big story’ to be repeated over multiple sources before I begin to believe it.
I have observed the snobbery of a few of the prominent NASCAR reporters and websites, but I suppose they have earned the right to do a little ‘Marshall-Matt-Dillon’ swagger.
What I don’t care for in this new world of everyone getting a website of their own and thinking they are the next new Sheriff of NASCAR reporting is not having a town council or Governor (meaning an editor) to answer to. One most reprehensible tactic is being able to post multiple responses to an article, appearing to be adoring fans but are really the authors of the articles themselves, building phantom fan-bases with no one able to stop the practice. Anyone skilled in picking up the personal nuances of a writer’s style can catch what is occurring but can do little about it; a post pointing out the obviousness of it all will surely be deleted. And on it goes.
On the other hand, not all of the ‘new towns’ cropping up around the current ‘Dodge Cities’ are run by varmints. The ‘Marshall-Matt-Dillons’ had better be ready to accept that, or they may need to soothe their bruised egos at their local Long Branch Saloons.
Spot on. Just like Jayski used to actually post rumors instead of press releases.
I’ve been stopping by here for quite awhile, I appreciate the honest facts and opinions you guys share. I think rumors are a product of the beast as a decades fan it seems to be you’ll have that, and I think that’s a good thing. The ESPN machine that put out the Ron Hornaday sham among other ones last year is just sensationalism IMHO. I don’t tend to put any stock in that. That is why I like to check TNI and some “upstart cottage industry web sites”. Jayski is still a place to find news/rumors it just seems to be a bit off from where he once was,again IMO.Keep up the good work guys. Thanks.
Thanks for the kind words everybody. It is always good to hear people enjoy what we are writing.
I think it will be interesting to see where the NASCAR media is in the seasons to come. I know I haven’t written much about the media, but I will check in with this as we move forward.
I’d like to be a fly on the wall in the Nascar offices to hear what they think.
They are used to exercising heavy handed control over the media. With the demise of traditional reporting outlets, the ability to wield that control is fading away.
Of course, the alternative for them is to have little to no coverage. Wonder what they would think of that?
Thank you. I really do enjoy your site and find it informative – especially because you cover subjects that the mainstream media can’t or won’t and will address a topic in a thorough fashion and not in just 700 to 800 words. Thank you.
As a soon-to-be college graduate (next Saturday) and a journalist, I am living proof that the entire journalism industry is on a downfall.
I thought I would have a job by the time I graduated. I won first place in the Georgia College Press Association awards, designed an entire magazine by myself and helped bring my college newspaper back to a front runner at the GCPA awards, winning 10 awards.
I’m less than two weeks from graduating and only had one interview and the interview wasn’t even for a job, just a meeting so when something does open up.
I would love a job writing about NASCAR but I know that will never happen especially with the way the economy is right now.
ESPN also needs to take a step back and realize that sometimes blogs do know the entire story. I don’t know this blog or ESPN has made plenty of mistakes before and as far as I’m concerned, some of their reporters do very unethical things especially considering the sport they are covering.
Congratulations Karah-Leigh. Graduating from college is a very exciting and very scary time in life. It’s a good adventure though.
I know plenty of people looking for work right now, and I’m very thankful I’m not among them. I wish you the best of luck finding something, and finding something you want to do.