The Truth About Cars isn’t the only online auto publication to bid farewell/say hello to editors today, as Yahoo Autos and Autoblog have done the same.
First off, now-former Autoblog editor Sharon Carty has taken the role of editor-in-chief of Yahoo Autos, where she will lend her extensive industry and digital media experiences to the search engine’s latest digital magazine. Carty’s industry career began in 2002, and has included stories such as the bankruptcies of General Motors and Chrysler, the emerging Southeast Asia automotive markets, and Toyota’s unintended acceleration woes.
Meanwhile, Autoblog‘s new editor-in-chief is Michael Austin, whose industry career began with Automobile magazine in 1999. Since then, Austin has worked in editorial for Car and Driver and Popular Mechanics, and was also employed at PR firm Tiny Toy Car – founded by former Jalopnik editor Ray Wert – as its director of creative strategy.
[UPDATE: An earlier version of this story stated Michael Austin was still with Tiny Toy Car based on his LinkedIn profile. Austin clarified with TTAC by email he left Tiny Toy Car when he accepted his previous Executive Editor role at AutoBlog in March, stating, “That was a mistake I made on my LinkedIn page.”]
“Autoblog‘s new editor-in-chief is Michael Austin, [who] is also employed at PR firm Tiny Toy Car”
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Oooh! Please, do go on! thisgonbegood.gif
I honestly thought this was a typo when I first read it. Then I looked up Mike on LinkedIn and it says he is still employed by Tiny Toy Car.
I wouldn’t think it too difficult to edit Yahoo Autos. It’s just borrowed pieces from 25 different auto sites, hacked for word length and with pop-ups added in. Most the time the articles don’t even have any photos other than some (incorrectly cited) thumbnails.
Things as ridiculous as “The Acura ZDX was replaced in 2014 with the Honda Accord Coupe.” often appear right on your screen. Or “The Top 10 Best Selling Cars Today” article, which only lists 8 cars, two of which will be trucks.
John Neff was excellent, and it was unfortunate to see him go last year. That said, after AOL decided to sneeze and shut down half their blogs earlier this year, I’ve un-bookmarked ALL of their blogs. I don’t need or want to have even more of my daily reads be randomly destroyed without warning, and AOL has proven they don’t have the slightest idea how to manage a digital property.
I stopped visiting Autoblog when they became a clickbait factory (every third story was something designed to provoke pro-/anti-Toyota posts) interspersed with press releases
That was under John Neff’s tenure.
I don’t doubt the production values, but the content was very, very thin compared to, eg, the Farago-era TTAC that was it’s contemporary.
I didn’t have the good fortune to know TTAC when RF was here, but if The Truth About Guns is any indicator… he was a crazy son of a bitch, and all the better for it.
John Neff pushed Autoblog’s YouTube content (not Alex Dykes worthy, but at the time unique) and their fantastic podcast, and for that I appreciate his efforts.
Fine line between genius and madness, or so they say.
“I didn’t have the good fortune to know TTAC when RF was here, but if The Truth About Guns is any indicator… he was a crazy son of a bitch, and all the better for it.”
Mr. Farago did a better job at TTAC than TTAG. Whether by accident or design, it was reasonable criticism, insight and news. TTAG allowed him to operate without restrictions and enabled some of the more egregious extremism.
Possibly AB got better after I stepped away, but it was nigh-on intolerable for a while.
Yeah, ttac by RF was tops! I was still in the bid’ness then and it was required reading for anyone who wanted the scoop and the lowdown on all things automotive that mattered,
These days, all the auto sites are all about click bait and revenue generation and all of them have become intolerable.
I’d be surprised if things got better, and don’t believe they will.
I visit Autoblog regularly, but comment rarely. I enjoy the reviews and especially the photography, but the aggregate maturity level of the commenters is fairly low. They can be a step away from R&T in terms of testing unobtainable cars.
I don’t care for racing news, nor their obsession with the auto show circuit.
Their monthly ‘By The Numbers’ pieces are a good snapshot of sales trends.
So I give them a distant but solid second for my car blog tastes.
@SCE
I 100% agree that Autoblog’s comment system/community went down hill years ago. In fact, I haven’t been a regular commenter on Autoblog since probably before 2010. The first 2-3 years were the best… very TTAC-like. Now, it’s full of random trolls (think dozens if not HUNDREDS of BTSR!) and is fully the faceless, corporate entity that AOL probably always wanted.
I enjoy the WSJ Auto section, the Automotive News site, Automotive Digest, and AutoWeek. They seem to offer what matters to me, and I have been scanning them for more than a decade.
But when it comes to research, info and ultimately buying, Edmund’s, KBB and USAA truly ring my bell. All business and none of the fluff.
Cars dot com used to be good but as of late they seem to be focused more on back seats and car seats, which turns off about half the buying demographic.
I scan JDP but don’t take its ratings seriously. CR IMO is more objective and not influenced by ad dollars.
When helping friends and family to decide which car to buy, I always recommend this reading list. And it hasn’t failed us yet.
FWIW, Jalopnik recently changed their masthead as well. Travis Okulski is now main editor with Matt Hardigree kicked upstairs.
I wonder if Jalopnik will unban me then, they dont like people pointing out Mazda rust.
I once had the displeasure of corresponding with Hadigree via email. I haven’t been to a Gawker-run website, since.
James May knows a word or two that could be used to describe that man.
I’ve never really interacted much with Hardigree. I get along with Spinelli, who used to run the joint, and if I was director of player personnel I’d hire Torchinsky and Orlove. They’re both talented writers with their own voices.
Orloves one of the few Jalopniks I respect, he can put up some neat articles.
I quit Gawker sites due to their generally atrocious journalism, when I heard of the whole “Gamergate” thing on them, I wasn’t surprised.
To go around muting posters though, now thats just lame.
I’m wondering what the SALARY is at TTAC.
Obviously not enough to keep workers there.
You guys should come to YOUTUBE with Alex dykes and myself.
$1000 a month – but the sky’s the limit.
I’m sure Alex must be making $1000 a month or more, but I’m not sure how much he has to split it. I don’t have to split mine and I shoot videos on iPhone LOL.
Alex Dykes – and most creators of informative, unbiased, welcome content make far more on YouTube than you, good sir.
I’m not professional.
I’m more of a fringe car lunatic just out for the cash.
See, that I can respect.
Kyle Lindsey makes six figures annually from his YouTube gig, and it isn’t even his full-time job. I wish I made $100k from my full-time job OR hobby, but… the Midwest is a cheap place to live. ;)
I didn’t know his last name until just now. Whenever I have a random car query like “Hmm, what does the rear door sound like on a Fleetwood limo?” I can just look for the video he did on it.
I didn’t know there was a Yahoo Autos and Autoblog has been a giant mess for some time now.
Wow, all this turnover at the auto news sites. 4/20 must be hard on you guys.