AutoWeek No Longer Weekly
Some sad news, as seen in Autoblog--AutoWeek is no longer a weekly publication. This news obviously prompts lots of naming-themed humor, but Autoblog's headline sums it up pretty nicely:
"AutoWeek going bi-weekly, won't change name to AutoBiWeekly"
Crain Communications, AutoWeek's publisher, is obviously spinning this as a positive--and there is real potential that this could be a good thing. While the awkwardness about the name illustrates the peril of naming your publication by its distribution schedule, AutoWeek's character has always been defined by its publishing cycle. It never had the in-depth car reviews and testing that, say, Car and Driver did--though the AutoFile content was an interesting take on the idea.
No, AutoWeek's strength was its frequency--it was a more rapid delivery mechanism for breaking news and timely reporting. This was especially crucial for its excellent motorsports coverage; race results and analysis typically arrived before the next race. More than anything else, AutoWeek was great at feeding the automotive addiction. When I was a car-crazy teenager who raced home very day after school to see if a new magazine came in, AutoWeek helped keep me sane. Back 15 years ago, Car and Driver was my monthly source of authoritative road tests and editorial genius; On Track gave me my bi-weekly in-depth racing fix; and AutoWeek gave me enough of both on a regular basis to keep me going from week to week.
Now, of course, the Internet handles that function admirably. News and race results are available in real time for free, and the quality of analysis and commentary online continues to improve. I was an AutoWeek subscriber from late 1985 through to 2001 or so; at that point I wasn't reading as often. Plus, since I keep and archive my magazines, I eventually just got overwhelmed by the sheer quantity of magazines that represents.
It's a tough time for magazine publishers across all industries; the Internet is a fantastic source of free content, some of it from the publishers themselves. Obviously as a blogger for Car Lust, I'm a (infinitesimally tiny) part of that trend, and I am not such a troglodyte as to wish for a return to offline days. Still, I am a car magazine junkie--I sympathize with the publishers and wonder about what we might lose as part of this revolution. AutoWeek appears to be moving towards In-depth, professionally reported features, which is certainly a better area for a magazine to set itself apart nowadays than rapid reporting of news.
I was managing editor for a magazine that died several years ago because it did not successfully solve that challenge, and as a former subscriber and AutoWeek loyalist I hope for a better result this time.
--Chris H.
Shawn on November 12, 2008 at 08:42 PM
I love print media. I can't tell you how many times I've wanted to revisit a website from years past that just no longer exists. Gone into digital space. Print sticks around, if you have the space and dedication to keep it. I keep all my car magazines, and have the last 25 years of Car & Driver in immediate reach if I need to know what a writer thought about a particular Car Lust at the time of its release.
However, I can easily see where AutoWeek is at a distinct disadvantage in this internet climate. Their angle, as you said, was to be the timeliest, but not most in-depth, coverage. That pretty much sums up the purpose of internet auto coverage. I'm saddened to hear the AutoWeek news, but I fear the worst is yet to come. All car magazines are shrinking page count and content, I think bi-monthly or quarterly could be around the corner for many of them.
Jim Bob on November 12, 2008 at 10:30 PM
Autoweek was bland and dry anyways. I just wish we got an interesting car show like Top Gear in the US.
Mochi Mochi on November 12, 2008 at 11:18 PM
it's interesting for me. i used to subscribe to a variety of auto/moto publications. i still occasionally purchase one - usually some really fringe or specialized magazine. but most publications seem so weighted to the newest consumerist nugget - i just can't get too worked up. the things that are going on online are really so much more interesting. people writing about the oddest and most obscure vehicles with real personal passion and skill is truly compelling. one of the reasons i'm here at carlust. major publications don't have the capacity or interest in supporting that kind of interesting fanatic car love.
Jacob on November 12, 2008 at 11:49 PM
nice article
V8Dan on November 13, 2008 at 07:57 AM
I'm a current subscriber to AW, but it seems to center on (what doesn't) a very rich (read; elite) clientel. I've never saw the sense of putting a vehicle on the cover that few will own, and few drive. In that regard it's not unlike Playboy, the airbrushed pics are nice, but the girls are total fantasy.