Hi 72 / Lo 38
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Hi 72 / Lo 38 |
Student Publications
©1991-2007
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Volume
71, Issue 108,
Thursday, March 8, 2007
Opinion
Adam Barrera Opinion Columnist Computer-savvy car buyers who use the Internet to research their purchases might not notice the bias in reviews from Web sites that appear credible . Web logs have enabled a new generation of grassroots journalists to bring authentic consumer perspective to conventional product reviews. However, most automotive blogs are staffed by car enthusiasts with day jobs unrelated to the industry they cover. The less formal “push-button publishing” culture allows www.Autoblog.com to deliver a punchier take on industry news than its stodgier print rivals. Though it lacks the years of experience earned by its print colleagues, it uses the power of its medium with a measure of restraint. Elsewhere in the automotive blogosphere, respect for the most basic principles of journalism is hard to find. The Web site TheTruthAboutCars.com recently shed some light on why its reviews of General Motors’ products are particularly scathing. In “GM Death Watch 109,” publisher Robert Farago selectively quoted a regional GM representative and used loaded words such as “admitted” to concoct a sensationalized image of corrupted corporate culture at the world’s largest automaker. Four paragraphs later, Farago single-handedly discounted the legitimacy of the public relations field by using pejoratives like “factotum” and stooped to name-calling. Industry analysis from a car reviewer is fine — if it’s fair. Analysts may attach corporate faults to a car under review. In the worst case, prejudice can drive a reviewer to assume the worst about a car before driving it. It is impossible to objectively evaluate the quality of a car’s workmanship without serious time behind the wheel. However, after criticizing the quality of the Corvette’s interior, Farago revealed that GM does not provide cars to his site for evaluation. Shoppers can seek several signs to ensure that a reviewer has had enough time with a car to speak authoritatively. If an exact price-as-tested is provided, it’s less likely the car under review was a rental or borrowed from a friend. Observed fuel economy figures are always more accurate than the Environmental Protection Agency’s estimates and prove that the vehicle was driven over a long period of time. Photographs should illustrate the actual test vehicle and carry an independent byline rather than appear courtesy of the manufacturer. All are missing from TheTruthAboutCars.com reviews. Farago’s story received 164 reader responses. Most simply took the one-sided piece at face value without questioning their source of information. Shoppers in doubt of the credibility of a source should search for third-party citations of a writer’s work. A reviewer’s biography should concisely illustrate a rich journalistic background and extensive experience in the auto industry. The best online car sites have thorough, readily accessible writer biographies. TheCarConnection.com sports a roster of professional car writers published in several international outlets. Their experience allows them to review new offerings in the context of their predecessors and the tact to analyze the industry without attacking it. Barrera, a communication/English s\enior, can be reached via dccampus@mail.uh.edu. |
 
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