The relationship between journalists and teams, and manufacturers are not always free from tensions. Especially those authors who are always on site. This is no different in racing, as in other areas, such as in politics. There are always two things:
First The plants need the journalists to one's name is mentioned frequently and positively enough
Second Journalists need the works, so they ran to get information that others might not have.
The result is that developed a network of interests. A little after the motto: "If you're nice to me, I'm nice to you." How does that affect it, you can already see when looking at the two largest car-newspapers of the country, which also report on the Formula One. The "Auto, Motor & Sport", made in support of Stuttgart, Mercedes, Auto-image, a native of Hamburg, has, thanks to years of good contacts, but rather with Ferrari. Since I had great fun last year, when I read during the espionage affair both hands.
How close is the interdependence of producers and journalists, show two examples
- Norbert Haug was earlier times (1988 to 1975), a member of the editorial staff of "Auto, Motor & Sport". He ran the sports department and was deputy editor at the end even.
- Stefan Heinrich, the most famous sports as € / MotorsTV commentator who is also spokesman for the two-track manufacturer's serial DTM.
Most of the better-known journalists in the automotive sector are pretty firmly interwoven with the industry. Some do it skillfully, others flirt openly with their connections to whomever. Others give priority to openly admit that host the Christmas party of any race or Zulieferes access times and during the presentation of a new car to the microphone.
What bothers me is that rare. Sometimes things are not different. The scene is ultimately small, people know each other for years, sometimes decades, and one can not simply hope that the way we sometimes get stuck with some news. Only if you build trust over the years, you get to let go now an exclusive message a few days / hours earlier. Who is this new, or do not always abide by the rules of the game, which gets only treat the official press release.
The "Auto, Motor & Sport" just more Mercedes-centric, like, one or the other nerves, but because at least you know where you stand. What bothers me is the opposite - that of not disclosing ancillary business, the bashful "letter of praise," because you do not want to offend a friendly customer. If, however, as we all know, always like before, especially when it comes to the DTM, which apparently is still running a very unique course on journalists. And so it surprises me not that there is little critical voices in DTM. Just as in the last year, Audi is the output of certain Zandvoort race, appeared to those who said "That was not nice. Hopefully this does not happen again. "You have to say but also faierweise that the nice coverage also applies to the WTCC. The one punishing but at least from where we reduced the reporting more and more. If one compares, however, what many viewers of the race of some series, and what to write some colleagues come over here, can you just think, "Two Worlds? Other races seen? "
It is also difficult for journalists to keep the balance. If they are too critical, for example when it comes to Formula One, then it may come at some point no longer the paddock in, are not invited for interviews or someone say once someone in the publishing line that you would like to advertise, but the environment is just just not as favorable. When it comes to their own job is going to be family and all these things, then just today, sometimes better, if one keeps the text-friendly, which means not that something "bad" writing, but only half of what one thinks or wants to say.
Therefore, the motor sports coverage (and not only) a little in Germany, we say, boring. No matter which side you call or what issue it buys - either you read the things that have the dpa / sid sent out, or even sometimes a bit soft flushed comments of the trade press. And unfortunately there are in addition to the colleagues dogfoog , Jürgen Kalwa and Jens Weinreich hardly journalists who deal with certain critical disciplines.
As I said - this is so in many industries. This has always been in the music industry in the area of the gaming industry does something similar (as called for it sometimes even someone from, as in the case of Atari vs. 4players.de ) or in the film industry, where according to many, to bad reviews is not invited to press screenings.
But there are rare exceptions. Surprised I was reading the new column by Norbert Ockenga in the MSA. As openly and honestly, I've rarely someone with a racing team and its relationship to see him write. Let's see how long this thing is on-line :)
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