Inaccuracy still the norm - Why?

[JD]

I'm sure others saw the Hemmings Motor News October 2019 issue featuring 18 pages of Carroll Shelby automobile content.  I was appalled at the quantity and level of inaccuracies from such a great publication, my head nearly exploded.

When I read that copy-and-paste heresy that Hemmings - who of all people should know better - wrote for the world I wanted to write a letter but I was so wound-up I thought better not as anything I would have written would have been prefaced with much profanity and questioning of their family heritage.

To my surprise and delight when I was reading the letter to the editor section in the November 2019 issue I see that SAAC's own Greg Kolasa did write a letter detailing (very politely) the inaccuracies related to the '65-'67 Shelby's and to HMN credit they ran it even though the letter fills almost a whole page.  That was just the inaccuracies in one part of one of the stories in the 18 pages!

Greg, once again you do the true Shelby community a service - THANK YOU.

Why can't  publications and auction houses do a little research first?

Rant over,
JD

[Coralsnake]

Lazy

[deathsled]

That's why we need guys like that to keep the record straight. You can believe that even more inaccuracies will arise with the greater passage of time until everything is distorted. Saac and the registries help to combat this effect. As now being a self-published author I can truly appreciate the monumental effort that goes into making the registries and the annual printing. The articles, organizing and executing on the printing and the mailing to club members? It's a hell of a lot of work and expensive to do the printing and mailing.

Best,
Richard E.

[papa scoops]

it's all about the money and what sells. who cares if it's accurate or not, most people will believe it. the internet is always 42% accurate, right? phred

[67 GT350]

Thats small fry, compare it to the FN....the first word rhymes with cake...

[2112]

We now live in a cut & paste culture.

Have you tried to hire anyone lately?

[Side-Oilers]

As an old-school car magazine writer/photog/editor (happily retired!) I can say for a fact that in the old days, writers had much, much, much more time to research and write their articles than they do today.  We often had week(s), not hours.

These days, it's all about who can post first, say something outrageous, and create click bait.  Facts are glossed over, or missed altogether.  Errors and typos are rampant.  Many unprofessional things (including obnoxious personal behavior) that would've gotten any of us reprimanded in the old days are seen as no big deal today.

Proofreading by an actual human is also a dead art.  In the old days (true for every magazine I ever worked on) the entire editorial staff proofread every single article. Errors and omissions were caught all the time.  These days, if spell check doesn't catch it, then it's good to go!

A litany of fools:  The number of so-called "automotive journalists" out there has grown exponentially in the past 25 years. A buddy who is high up in the PR department of a major car company tells me that 25 years ago there were about 200 bonified, regularly published, car writers on their press list. That included newspaper guys who wrote car columns.  Today, he tells me, the number (if they count every single goofball who has a car blog and badgers them to be included on press trips) is about 10,000.  Of those, only about 1000 are "viable", and my pal says a great many of that 1000 are complete dufuses. But they have a following, so they're on the press list.   

Another old friend of mine who is still in the car mag business tells me that the hiring parameters for a new staffer (yes, even on the big car magazines) is "24/24/24"...meaning a 24 year old kid who can work 24 hours a day, for $24,000 a year pay.  Not exactly the best way to encourage excellence, or to retain anyone on staff who knows anything.

Think of all that the next time you read a car article...especially from someone you've never heard of, or have any respect for.

[69mach351w]

Those pesky mispelled words too 

[69mach351w]

That's why we need guys like that to keep the record straight. You can believe that even more inaccuracies will arise with the greater passage of time until everything is distorted. Saac and the registries help to combat this effect. As now being a self-published author I can truly appreciate the monumental effort that goes into making the registries and the annual printing. The articles, organizing and executing on the printing and the mailing to club members? It's a hell of a lot of work and expensive to do the printing and mailing.

Best,
Richard E.

And that's why we need to call on these dummies on eBay when they "purposely" misrepresent a Shelby part, or any part for that fact. 

I send these sellers a message when they are misrep'ing an item and I think we all need too. It most likely won't do any good to him/her, but they know we're out here and they know that we are trying to keep people like them from doing their misdeeds. JMO

[gt350hr]

   Being an owner of one of the "dozen and a half" white with blue stripes ( A FACT "I" had to correct Greg on BTW) I will add that they did not have "ralley stripes" either. I would offer that lowered front ends stopped in the 300's a bit earlier 900's than he suggested. I too commend Greg for stepping up and correcting HMN and curbing the misinformation in that article.  For years people have intentionally an unintentionally rewritten history to the confusion of many. Greg's fine book on Hertz cars is a must have for anyone interested in the special run. Mico Mater cylinders , speedo locks , and all the nuances and changes are covered.
   Randy

[Shelby_r_b]

Wow. I previously missed this thread. I'm behind in reading the last few issues. Looks like it'll be a good read for my upcoming flight.