Indie Auto has recently received two comments stating that another auto media outlet “is in debt and may go under in 2025.” That would be meaningful news if it proved to be true, but the evidence presented has been decidedly questionable.
Indeed, the thing that most struck me about both comments was that they have the casualness of a coworker sharing office gossip down at the bar. The writer(s) apparently did not recognize the difference between a private conversation among friends and public comments stated for the record.
The second comment was submitted after I sent an email to the author of the first one telling him that Indie Auto would not post unverified rumors. The second comment largely repeated the first one’s talking points but didn’t add any meaningful evidence — only hearsay. However, it was typed in all caps.
Each comment came from a different email account but had the same URL. This suggests that either two people had coordinated their submissions or one person was trying to be tricky.
The writers or writer do not appear to have seen this post. Thus, I still wonder whether they recognize the danger of exposing themselves to a defamation lawsuit (Doskow and Barrett, 2024). The reason why is that making false statements about the financial viability of a business could undermine its reputation.
Auto media continue to go through retrenchment
The speculations of the two comments have at least some plausibility because the U.S. automotive media have been facing significant financial headwinds. This has led to the death of some car-buff magazines. In addition, those that have survived have often been downsized.
For example, in 2019 Automobile magazine was discontinued and last year MotorTrend switched from a monthly to a quarterly publication schedule. Then, in December MotorTrend’s parent company was sold to Hearst, which already owned long-time competitors such as Car and Driver and Road & Track (Hurlin, 2024). Will that lead to further consolidation?
Meanwhile, Hemmings recently announced that in March it will fold its Classic Car and Muscle Machines magazines into Hemmings Motor News (JH27N0B, 2024).
Publishers have been under enormous pressure to develop new business models — and it is unclear which ones will be most successful. So it is entirely possible that even one year from now the auto media landscape could look at least somewhat different than it does now.
By all means let’s talk about this brave new world. However, please ground your speculations in credible facts when discussing specific media outlets. In my book that does not include vague rumors heard at local car events.
Share your reactions to this post with a comment below or a note to the editor.
RE:SOURCES
- Doskow, Emily an Stacy Barrett; 2024. “Defamation Law Made Simple.” Nolo. Updated Feb. 20.
- Hurlin, Tara; 2024. “MotorTrend Isn’t Dead Yet: Hearst Magazines Takes the Reins.” Hemmings. Posted Dec. 16.
- JH27N0B; 2024. “Another two car magazines are biting the dust, Hemmings Classic Car and Muscle.” E-bodies.org. Posted Nov. 14.
Sure, it is hard times for publications and magazines of all types. Postage costs and fewer advertisers is killing profits. I don’t think it is too harmful to speculate on which magazine will be eliminated or restructured. I am a little dismayed when I order a magazine thinking it is a monthly pub and then receive a notice that they have decided to go to a bi-monthly, quarterly publication, or cease altogether.
Sure, we can speculate — but like responsible adults. For example, in media law there is a big difference between expressing an opinion and stating a fact that turns out to be false — and ends up hurting the reputation of a business.
If subscribers hear that a publication is so deeply in debt that it might go out of business shortly, it would make sense that a lot of folks wouldn’t take the risk of renewing their subscription.
Now, what if it wasn’t factually correct that the publication was in financial trouble — but that the rumor led to a major drop off in subscriptions that did result in a financial crisis? That’s potentially the stuff of a defamation lawsuit.
If the allegation against the publication was made in a comment thread, the person who wrote the comment may not be the only one who is sued for defamation — the website that allowed its posting could potentially be held liable as well.
This isn’t just about avoiding legal entanglements — it’s about doing the right thing. The comments I discuss in my above story relied heavily on barstool-level hearsay and offered details that suggested a lack of knowledge about how a publication works. Wearing my reporter hat, their story had too many holes for me to take very seriously. I also wonder what motivations are at play given the weird use of multiple email accounts. Something doesn’t smell right.