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Autosport and its lack of relevant coverage


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#1 Marklar

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Posted 12 November 2015 - 15:34

In the "Lotus goes bankrupt" thread there is currently a discussion ongoing about how Autosport is never up to date comparing to other motorsports portals.

 

Examples were given

  • Hamilton's late arrival to Brazil and the reasons for that
  • updated news on the EU complaint
  • The Lotus impoundment story in Spa and the lockout yesterday in Sao Paulo

I would suggest to continue the discussion and add further examples in this thread here.

 

If a similar thread is already existing or the thread is not allowed, than I'm apologizing for that :)


Edited by Marklar, 12 November 2015 - 15:36.


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#2 KWSN - DSM

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Posted 12 November 2015 - 17:00

In the "Lotus goes bankrupt" thread there is currently a discussion ongoing about how Autosport is never up to date comparing to other motorsports portals.

 

Examples were given

  • Hamilton's late arrival to Brazil and the reasons for that
  • updated news on the EU complaint
  • The Lotus impoundment story in Spa and the lockout yesterday in Sao Paulo

I would suggest to continue the discussion and add further examples in this thread here.

 

If a similar thread is already existing or the thread is not allowed, than I'm apologizing for that :)

 

As I said over there, I expect news media to report news. I think there are levels of 'news worthiness' depending of which public segment, and subject matter you cover. A magazine as Autosport are rightly or wrongly seen as an authority on covering Autoracing in general and F1 very hardcore. I personally see Autosport as 'The' magazine.

 

There have been instances of Autosport not covering what a number of other news outlets were in respect to F1 related matters.

 

* Sauber and Van de Garde earlier this year, very little coverage more was learned and informed in the Forum than when reading the magazine. After the settlement there have been exactly zero coverage, as it show a darker underbelly to the manner in which business is done and not done in F1, I thought it a worthwhile insight article to write. I wrote suggesting this and received a [paraphrase] Van de Garde is a has been, with little talent there is nothing more to the story [/paraphrase] - To me that is not a correct view on it, since the very much covered financial woes facing half the grid is the very reason that a Peter Sauber led team, chose what would in the bushiness world been fraud or embezzlement.

 

* Lotus being impounded in Spa, first time in how many years this happened to a F1 team? Once again cause and effect, the financial woes of Lotus have led them down a slope where creditors have to resort to the measures, in order to be paid what they are owed. The coverage from a lot of media of the cars being impounded were all over the place, it was discussed at length in the forum. And took about a week before Autosport mentioned it.

 

* Lotus being locked out in Brazil, second time this happened (or 3rd?), even more of a cause for reporting, since Autosport did report Renault engineers being at work in Enstone. It was reported in various news media, as of yet zero on Autosport.

 

* Hamilton's late arrival, I did not know of it until being posted in the thread, nothing on Autosport, which it should the reigning WDC arriving late due to a car incident is news. Especially when he story was presented as him having a fever. It is being covered by other news media.

 

Someone mentioned or suggested that Autosport to an extent have become entrenched to F1, so stories with any kind of negativity towards F1 is not covered timely, is not covered deeply. These mentioned may be the only ones for this year, on top of my head no other come up. Each of them is however poor editorial control of their magazine.

 

:cool:



#3 JHSingo

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Posted 12 November 2015 - 17:13

*snip*

 

Added to this, the limited number of free views you get is still rather annoying, considering that often you can get the news much earlier (as you say) and without such limitations at various sites. For instance, because of all the MotoGP fall out, I've already burned through my free articles for this month.

 

Hopefully with the updated site, things will get better in both areas. Autosport is still one of my favourite sites to visit, but I'm more frequently going elsewhere for news as well. Motorsport.com in particular.



#4 Marklar

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Posted 12 November 2015 - 22:39

What I appreciate about Autosport though is that they are always spot on when they are actually reporting something. For example AMuS was reporting last december that the FIA will scrap the team radio clampdown completely while autosport reported that they will just not enforce the planned, harder restrictions. Tey were absolutely right.

Im always informing myself by twitter or German motor racing sites as they usually have a few own reports and all the reports from any other outlet. To read the original version I went in the past to the Autosport site and always found the stories, this doesn't apply anymore, Im now always going to motorsport.com, they have now the most recent storys. Clearly something is going wrong here for some time.

#5 Melbourne Park

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Posted 12 November 2015 - 22:49


What I appreciate about Autosport though is that they are always spot on when they are actually reporting something. ...

 

 

Sorry, but I don't agree.

 

I joined Atlas at the beginning of the century, and I have found the Autosport content diminishing in quality, quantity, timeliness and interpretation. And on many issues, just plain wrong. 

 

They claim I am on a special subscription rate, due to my longevity, but I don't think its good value at all. However if the normal subscription rate is higher, wow ... 


Edited by Melbourne Park, 12 November 2015 - 22:51.


#6 Marklar

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Posted 12 November 2015 - 22:55

Sorry, but I don't agree.
 
I joined Atlas at the beginning of the century, and I have found the Autosport content diminishing in quality, quantity, timeliness and interpretation. And on many issues, just plain wrong. 
 
They claim I am on a special subscription rate, due to my longevity, but I don't think its good value at all. However if the normal subscription rate is higher, wow ...

Yeah, I agree that the content is diminishing in every way. However there is stil some reliability compare to other sites (eg AMuS) which Im appreciating.

#7 KWSN - DSM

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Posted 13 November 2015 - 00:02

Autosport is still my main source of Autoracing related news, I am not saying they are poor at what they run, just that they have more and more not run stories of interest and importance, when other outlets have.

 

Somewhere else there was a discussion of the good old days, I were part of the good old days as a subscriber to the magazine from the early 80ies, possibly late 70ies (first issue a blue border with a FFord on it, guess was the Festival issue). Autosport is not alone in having a decrease of their content, all written media have gone through that to an extent. The current generation of readers and news-seekers look for news in a different way, and through different media than printed matter. The Autosport my brother and I saved for the 10 - 12 yere-rears we subscribed were read, re-read and re-read and re-read, they were a constant source of encyclopaedic information and there were articles and race coverage which by far exceed what is being offered today.

 

This is not good, better or worse... It is different, some like it one way, others like it another. Spousal Unit can not be arsed to ever read a newspaper, and I could lie on the couch doing nothing but. It being different in the way that it is, for me is a negative, I know and understand that everything is on the internet, I have access to more information than the library of Alexandria, yet it is a search, it is a looking for. I can not walk to the book-shelf, pull out the Salmonsen encyclopedia (1936 edition), flip to the relevant letter and here it is, I can not go pull an article easily from Autsport compared to how easy it was having the source material right there.

 

It is a consequence of innovation, it is a consequence of progress, I have learned more about the inane, archaic, startling, interesting and plain awesome since the internet came about (thanks Al Gore), but I still think Autosport should cover the news, and not cover in the corner fearing the hand of the mighty FOM.

 

:cool:



#8 ardbeg

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Posted 13 November 2015 - 12:41

It is a dilemma because as Marklar say Autosport is trustworthy, which is, in my world, a plus. So therefore I subscribe. But they are also incredibly boring and there is not much that feels like journalism, just plain reporting. Reporting what the people a journalist should keep a critical eye on are telling them.

So I cancel my subscription. Then after a few months I subscribe again because there are not really any decent alternatives. Then I cancel. Then I subscribe. But I am not happy. I am far from satisfied with the product and I am sure that the lack of proper journalism is what allowing people like Bernie to **** us all.

 

Oh well. I think I head for the cancel subscription button again. Apart from Lotus there are a lot of untold stories from the last part of the MotoGP season. We only got the stories Dorna, Honda and Yamaha wanted to be told. 

And the Pirelli affair, it was hilarious in terms of avoiding the truth and now Pirelli has new contract so we have to suffer for many more years of artificial racing.

I could go on, but i need breakfast. Maybe a hug. I need a hug and a breakfast. And a spaceship taking me to Betelguse.



#9 Risil

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Posted 13 November 2015 - 13:59

I'm not particularly happy with Autosport atm but I'm still far from convinced that my ideal racing publication could do much better.

 

It's an F1 thing. Racer.com, for American racing, is wonderful.



#10 Peter0Scandlyn

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Posted 14 November 2015 - 03:58

:rolleyes:  :rolleyes: really? Is pretty ordinary at best. Sorry to stray OT  :blush:



#11 kamikaze1

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Posted 14 November 2015 - 16:09

Love how towards the last half of the month... stories are pretty scarce.... then the first of the month... boom.. loads of stories.  Some articles could all be joined into one, but nope.. 3 different stories from the same interview, in all different articles, to burn through the free views.  Autosport's headlines have become click bait to be honest.  It's actually hilarious looking at the site on the first of every month.  

 

I implore people to look at the site on the first of every month and see how click-baitish it is. 



#12 jimjimjeroo

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Posted 14 November 2015 - 17:29

I rarely look on the autosport.com home page for news, as I've already usually reaffirmed it else where. although the forum is the first place I look and it has been for almost 10 years

#13 goingthedistance

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Posted 20 November 2015 - 10:21

I don't find Autosport that trustworthy anymore. They ran the story leading into Austin that Renault had used 11 tokens and were ready to run their new engine spec. It turned out they were not ready due to software issues and other things. As it turned out they only ran the spec in Brazil and only the ICE which was 7 tokens, due to a lack of parts availability for the turbo element of the upgrade. That bit may never run at all this season. So Renault clearly weren't ready to run the full upgrade in Austin at all...

That's just one example of the detail being wrong in stories, I've seen it quite a bit lately and tend to trust AMuS more, their articles are timely and usually as or more accurate than AS.

I think more and more Autosport is trying to protect its trustworthy reputation by simply not reporting anything. You can't miss if you don't take a swing. They're really missing Jon Noble, who seems to have excellent inside sources. Motorsport.com appears to be thriving since his arrival. I'm certainly going there a lot more.

Hope AS can turn it around, maybe poach a big fish in the paddock to replace Noble with.

Edited by goingthedistance, 20 November 2015 - 11:10.


#14 ardbeg

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Posted 25 November 2015 - 16:30

Example of modern cut and paste journalism where a professional eye would have asked himself why Ecclestone said what he said, considering Rossi's move is very common in car racing.

http://www.autosport...rce=mostpopular



#15 Risil

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Posted 26 November 2015 - 21:28

Yeah, wasn't it basically what Hamilton did to Rosberg at the start of the US Grand Prix?



#16 ardbeg

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Posted 01 December 2015 - 13:31

Yeah, wasn't it basically what Hamilton did to Rosberg at the start of the US Grand Prix?

Yes, "hang out to dry" is almost as classic as "selling a dummy". Bold and beautiful as long as you allow the other some track.



#17 Tsarwash

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Posted 30 December 2015 - 04:14

Despite being a regular on the forum, I tend to not bother with the news site, possibly because of the limited number of articles allowed along with the fact that often one story is split over two or three articles quite often. I've no problem with charging or rationing the number of articles, but making people use three of their allowed views to read one story just seems a bit cynical. And as mentioned before, the sometimes clickbait headlines just make me go elsewhere occasionally. Autosport seems like the Telegraph these days. Factual, quite conservative and reserved but also intriguingly desperate at times.

#18 Kristian

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Posted 30 December 2015 - 14:14

I cancelled my subscription this month for both magazine and digital; let's see if I miss it. Given that as I use NewsNowF1 to get the latest stories, and Autosport tends to lag behind other sites with that, I doubt it. Also Motorsport.com has pretty decent analysis these days, and for free. 



#19 king_crud

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Posted 06 January 2016 - 10:26

Despite being a regular on the forum, I tend to not bother with the news site, possibly because of the limited number of articles allowed along with the fact that often one story is split over two or three articles quite often. I've no problem with charging or rationing the number of articles, but making people use three of their allowed views to read one story just seems a bit cynical. And as mentioned before, the sometimes clickbait headlines just make me go elsewhere occasionally. Autosport seems like the Telegraph these days. Factual, quite conservative and reserved but also intriguingly desperate at times.


and the fact it says "you have 30 free articles a month", I wouldn't click on more than 5 in that time yet I always seem to get the "you have 5 free views left". I know I've not gone near 30 views yet so why the lies?

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#20 RedBaron

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Posted 06 January 2016 - 11:06

You want up to date news, forget Autosport. Even skip Motorsport.com, I go straight here: http://www.newsnow.co.uk/h/Sport/F1



#21 Marklar

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Posted 06 January 2016 - 12:04

You want up to date news, forget Autosport. Even skip Motorsport.com, I go straight here: http://www.newsnow.co.uk/h/Sport/F1

My problem with this site are news like this

 

The next Ike and Tina? Rita Ora and Lewis Hamilton duet on holiday



#22 RedBaron

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Posted 06 January 2016 - 12:22

My problem with this site are news like this

 

The next Ike and Tina? Rita Ora and Lewis Hamilton duet on holiday

 

Some tabloid stuff does stray into the feed, that's true. It's easy not to click on those links though. For breaking news and pretty much every story out there relating to F1 it doesn't get better.



#23 Kristian

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Posted 06 January 2016 - 12:46

My problem with this site are news like this

 

The next Ike and Tina? Rita Ora and Lewis Hamilton duet on holiday

 

You can deselect sites that are displayed too. 



#24 Marklar

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Posted 06 January 2016 - 12:49

Some tabloid stuff does stray into the feed, that's true. It's easy not to click on those links though. For breaking news and pretty much every story out there relating to F1 it doesn't get better.

twitter ;)

#25 Marklar

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Posted 06 January 2016 - 12:58

You can deselect sites that are displayed too.

I see, I found the app for that. Im going to give that a go. Thanks ;)

#26 RedBaron

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Posted 06 January 2016 - 13:37

twitter ;)

 

Yeh Twitter has a lot, but unless your feed is F1 dedicated then it's not a neat and tidy.



#27 jonfev

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Posted 27 March 2016 - 20:41

 I've noticed the steady decline of the website over the last couple of years. When I first signed up and started paying several years ago, you could download loads of pictures from the gallery in high enough resolution for your desktop.  These days there are far fewer images and they are all in low resolution (unless I'm missing something). I had the site as my homepage and there was plenty to read.Last week was the media launch of the British GT Championship. Clearly Autosport was not part of that media because there is no mention on the site. Today was the first F3 (4?) race at Snetterton arguably the premiere national single seater championship and there is no mention on this site, this is unforgivable.  The site has become less relevant and less appealing. With a heavy heart this evening I have cancelled my sub.


Edited by jonfev, 27 March 2016 - 20:42.


#28 Imperial

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Posted 13 April 2016 - 15:27

You want up to date news, forget Autosport. Even skip Motorsport.com, I go straight here: http://www.newsnow.co.uk/h/Sport/F1


Sorry but I am laughing my arse off at this.

I'm not one to dismiss something without having a look, so I just had a look and the TOP news item is titled: "Geri Horner channels Willy Wonka in purple suit as she's pictured carrying £20 notes".

#29 Kristian

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Posted 13 April 2016 - 16:31

Sorry but I am laughing my arse off at this.

I'm not one to dismiss something without having a look, so I just had a look and the TOP news item is titled: "Geri Horner channels Willy Wonka in purple suit as she's pictured carrying £20 notes".

 

Once you've deselected the more tabloidy sites, its actually the most useful resource for the latest news. Though indeed I barely look at the top stories, as invariably the celebrity gossip ones will be at the top - these also appear in the celebrity areas of the site, which naturally have more clicks. 



#30 Ross Stonefeld

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Posted 13 April 2016 - 18:44

Great. You can read 10 different versions of 'colleagues go out for dinner, take selfie'.



#31 f1paul

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Posted 13 April 2016 - 20:31

I've noticed rallycross hasn't got it's own section, it did on the old website



#32 anbeck

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Posted 13 April 2016 - 20:50

What disturbs me most about Autosport "news" (and this happens on other websites, too) is that most of the articles that are advertised as "news" are in fact just press releases.

Not so long ago (though I actually have no idea when it disappeared), autosport.com actually had all the press releases by teams neatly listed by day of the race weekend as soon as they became available.  And it was just the direct driver and team quotes from the press releases, and they were treated as such: the 'naked' quotes, no BS. I always enjoyed reading these direct quotes (it was before F1 coverage on the internet was ubiquitous)!

 

Now, every press release is branded as "breaking news". Most of the time, it is just a number of direct quotes copied and pasted, with some "... says X" or "The XX-year old..." (which make the article clumsy to read).

It seems that most "news stories" are not the result of research and actual journalistic work anymore, but of underpaid people staring at their email inbox and waiting for press releases that can be pimped.

 

A consequence of this is that people/teams who publish more press releases are covered more, independent of the actual newsworthiness of their message.

 

Of course, I blame the internet, where everything is broken down to the "least publishable/newsworthy unit", both to uphold the illusion of "24/7 updates" (which autosport.com, to be fair, suffers far less than other sites) and to break down each press release in as many click-generating articles as possible. Journalistic work does not really fit into that picture (that's why I prefer non-profit websites, but I don't know any that is related to F1 or racing).

Yes, I enjoy some of the "features" (mostly the technical and historical ones), but in no way do they reach the quality of the old days, when the autosport.com subscription articles came once per week.



#33 Imperial

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Posted 14 April 2016 - 09:55

To throw in my thoughts, I'm disappointed at the very recent rise of opinion-pieces, which is a clear response to the absolute fluff that makes up motorsport.com

#34 SophieB

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Posted 14 April 2016 - 14:05

I really like to hear journalists giving their thoughts and opinions as long as they're sincerely meant, and not attempts at trying to be controversial for its own sake.



#35 slideways

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Posted 08 June 2016 - 09:11

I decided a while back to cancel and don't regret it (member since early 2000s).
 
I mostly use crash.net, motorsport.com, reddit and google now.
 
Completely agree with the slow decline of the website. It seems to me that Haymarket has slowly squeezed the soul out of yet another publication.
 
What is it really about? Skilled people who care about a subject enough to write about it from the heart. Haymarket just does not understand this. We go from stalwarts like Bira or Roebuck or Noble, who understood the sport, and most importantly the fans, to people like Edd Straw who simply do not understand what we want. Hint: not some preachy editorialised headline to a 'feature article' (paid) with zero investigative journalism and 100% bloated opinion that contradicts what he wrote last week.

 
 

I think more and more Autosport is trying to protect its trustworthy reputation by simply not reporting anything.


And following up from goingthedistance's comments, Autosports reputation was built on Investigative Journalism. And during a race weekend, it was almost what you could call live investigative journalism. Now this website is built on opinion pieces and clickbait headlines.

Edited by slideways, 08 June 2016 - 09:18.


#36 Ross Stonefeld

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Posted 08 June 2016 - 13:02

Then how are Crash and Motorsport an improvement? 

 

I've worked with a few of the sites you mention, and every person you've mentioned, and while I'd probably agree Autosport.com isn't as strong as it used to be the alternatives are definitely not substitutions. They're barely replacements for the current version? 



#37 Kristian

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Posted 08 June 2016 - 14:55

Then how are Crash and Motorsport an improvement? 

 

I've worked with a few of the sites you mention, and every person you've mentioned, and while I'd probably agree Autosport.com isn't as strong as it used to be the alternatives are definitely not substitutions. They're barely replacements for the current version? 

 

I'd say they are on a par now, and they are free - which gives them the advantage. 

 

If you want people to pay for content, it has to be very superior to rivals. 


Edited by Kristian, 08 June 2016 - 14:56.


#38 pacificquay

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Posted 08 June 2016 - 19:56

Ditching the motorbike stuff would be a good start

#39 Gareth

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Posted 09 June 2016 - 09:48

If you want people to pay for content, it has to be very superior to rivals. 

I feel like I paid for this "content".

 

Analysis or advert?

We all pay for content in some way or another.



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#40 chunder27

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Posted 10 June 2016 - 19:47

The motorbike stuff keeps crash and motorsport running. Crash certainly in the past made hay with bike coverage.

 

Probably not Autosport as most of their readers are as stuffy as the earlier poster.

 

Get in the real world where bikesport is starting to take over.



#41 HP

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Posted 10 June 2016 - 21:25

It seems that motorbike got a bit more coverage recently, which I enjoy. So please don't get rid of it.

 

I feel like I paid for this "content".

 

Analysis or advert?

We all pay for content in some way or another.

Actually it's bragging about something that might need to get banned. If all teams want to use this (and they will want to), they run out of WiFi channels rather quickly. So it's an unfair advantage.


Edited by HP, 10 June 2016 - 21:27.


#42 chunder27

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Posted 11 June 2016 - 08:21

When most journalists these days simply process press releases that are emailed directly to them instead of actually doing their job, can you blame a mag when trash like this is on their pages?