By Robert Farago
May 27, 2008 -
As we've chronicled here umpteen times, dozens of automotive websites and publications pull their punches on GM product reviews to maintain good relations (i.e. ad bucks, press cars and junkets) with The General. It's an understandable– if entirely lamentable– phenomena. But who'd a thunk the non-automotive blogosphere could be bought so easily? Actually, us. You may recall that Justin and I infiltrated a roomful of non-car GM junketeers– including a manic mommy from manicmommies.com. According to Automotive News [AN, sub], GM's "director of global communications technology" is still hard at it. Christopher Barger's got five full-time employees working on with "hundreds" of bloggers. Barger won't reveal his budget for blogging black bag ops, but justifies it easily. "Readers are paying more attention to individual bloggers, frankly, than they are to us as a source of credible information." Hey Chris, got that right. And while we await Barger to send us 800 words, we'd like to point out that Automotive News and GM have neglected to mention gaywheels.com, a major beneficiary of The General's largess. Surely GM and AN wouldn't want the gay community to think they were hiding or purposely downplaying their relationship, would they?
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POWERED
May 27th, 2008 at 3:21 pm
Robert:
Excellent work as always.
But while we’re keeping everyone honest and aboveboard, according to your own bio on TTAC’s old site, you at least used to write for ‘gaywheels’ and are therefore at least a minor, if former, beneficiary of their largess, no ?
May 27th, 2008 at 3:47 pm
The connection between this story and Gay Wheels is a bit too subtle for me. Can you clarify?
May 27th, 2008 at 4:20 pm
powerglide :
But while we’re keeping everyone honest and aboveboard, according to your own bio on TTAC’s old site, you at least used to write for ‘gaywheels’ and are therefore at least a minor, if former, beneficiary of their largess, no ?
If you're talking about GM, no. When I wrote for gaywheels.com, it was a straight cash for road test deal. So to speak.
Michael Karesh
The connection between this story and Gay Wheels is a bit too subtle for me. Can you clarify?
GM paid for reporters from gaywheels.com to attend the Detroit Auto Show (airfare, transfers, food and lodging), and God knows what else, as they don't disclose contributions from manufacturers.
May 27th, 2008 at 9:43 pm
It’s the “God knows what else” that intrigues me.
May 27th, 2008 at 10:11 pm
Where’s my cheque?
May 28th, 2008 at 12:37 am
Actually, there is a bit of a problem with the Gay blog for GM. As soon as the Evangelist Bloggers find out, they will start a boycott.
Apparently, in this country, you cannot have both gay and evangelist customers.
May 28th, 2008 at 12:30 pm
Landcrusher,
What about gay evangelists?
May 28th, 2008 at 12:39 pm
psarhjinian,
What about gay, evangelist bloggers?