about the image above

March 28, 2024

Merc: "It's a Spectacular Time to Buy a Car"

As the economic vise tightens around all of us, but around newspapers more tightly than most, readers may become more suspicious about the influences bearing down on what was once a free and vibrant press. Suspicions like being unduly influenced by commercial pressures. Anyone who has ever worked in a newsroom will acknowledge some pressures, expressed or unexpressed by publishers. We simply knew how much money papers take in from house builders, realtors, or car dealers. MERCURY NEWS -- A NEW CAR? --jpeg
Most of us tried to make sure it never affected editorial decision-making, but, if we were smart, we damn sure made doubly sure that when we wrote about those local industries we got it right.

Ad boycotts by car dealers are legendary, and sent chills down the spine of a number of papers, including the unforgettable 1994 boycott of the San Jose Mercury News (well-documented with good context about other papers' similar woes, here, by Alicia Shepard in the American Journalism Review). It cost the paper at least a million dollars, and I recall the reverberations around Knight Ridder. The never-written words in the air: Be careful.

So, opening up Sunday's Merc, provided, shall we say, a contrast. The banner, above-the-fold story, is hard to miss:

"A New Car? Are You Nuts? In this economy, it's tough for dealers, but could put you in the driver's seat". 

Matt Nauman's lead:

"February was a lousy month for car dealers, but a great one for the few buyers bold enough to seek a deal.

"It's a spectacular time to buy," said Jack Nerad, editorial director and market analyst for Kelley Blue Book's kbb.com
Web site. "The combination of incentives, interest rates, availability
and the relative desire from dealers to make a deal — it's all there
for the consumer."

All true enough, and Nauman's a good car writer. The story is balanced enough, with a few industry experts, in addition to the three car dealers quoted. It also makes reference to the campaigns sponsored by both regional Bay Area broadcasters, the Mercury News and its parent MediaNews Group to promote car buying.

Then there's the refer to Sunday Business front. The headline there:

"What you need to know about buying a car RIGHT NOW"

The RIGHT NOW is in large red outlined letters. Sue McAllister's story is spot-on, talking to the usual suspects at Consumer Reports and Consumer Federation of America and giving fair treatment to used vs. news comparisons. 

So does the Merc's coverage cross a line? Well, it at least dances on it. In normal times, we wouldn't have paid that much attention. These, though, are not normal times. As newspaper standing wanes, its power to resist commercial pressures — and I'm not saying any were exerted here — will wane (are waning?) as well. That's just a fact of life, but one we should expect and figure out how to deal with.

Let's consider the context. Auto advertising has been a big part of the newspaper industry problem. Take just one company, McClatchy, and you see that it saw a 36% drop in auto ad revenue in 2008. Despite some successes in online ad packages, we're still seeing another 25% or so decline across the industry this year, with forecasts worse.

Lastly, we must recall there's conflict of interest, and there's the appearance of conflict of interest. Suspicious minds will be looking for crossing lines now more than ever.

Now back to the Sunday papers, unless I decide to take a little drive over to car row.


Article Tags

Categories

Related Posts