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99% of the time you have to take the side of the reader, and any journalist who reflexively jumps to the conclusion that it’s not news is on the wrong side of the journalist/publicist divide.
If it’s an issue of true national security or the lives of kids are at stake, sure, a reporter should slow their roll. But that’s 1% of the time.
This is the same mentality as the DC journalists like Ben Smith who rushed to diminish the ridiculous ethical breach of Olivia Nuzzi sexting with RFK Jr. while she was reporting on him. There’s a stupid creed that it’s more important to circle the wagons around anyone they consider a part of the club than it is to do the job they signed up for.
You’re not there to make friends. Just do your jobs.
Time to blow this thing wide open, name names, and get to the bottom of Shaftgate once and for all!
That is absolutely something you write about. Firstly you write about it because it’s Ford, and Ford shit blowing up is the kind of thing that Ford generally tries to bury and fuck that with a knobbly dildo. Ford shit blowing up is getting inches, column inches you pervert what kind of inches did you think I meant, and if they don’t like it then maybe they should test more before bolting it under Mustangs, Pintos or whatever.
If Ford throws a hissy that people are still giving them shit about the whole Pinto debacle, the incomparable hypocrisy with which they underscored the whole thing by the foregoing – and until the debacle itself, unsuspected – “Ford memo” is their own damn fault. Yeah, you’ll pay for that for a long goddamn time, and whose fault is that?
Secondly you write about it because even if it came about as a result of gross abuse that is on the ragged edge of edge cases, you know there’s burnout bros out there that are going to do exactly the same and maybe they should get a heads-up of some kind before they blow up their Ford shit. It points up that maybe some techs aren’t quite ready for prime time, or maybe should be steered more toward the lesser echelons and tried-and-true aluminum continues to hold sway when the numbers get big. Whatever.
And finally you write about it because you’re a goddamn journalist. Your whole job is to write shit down, the real shit as it happens, not do what other journalists or even the hosting “source” tells you. I’m sick to death of getting approved and sanitized releases that are slightly tweaked by the media and then fed to us as pre-chewed pablum. Screw that. I want FACTS, not FODDER.
I want JASON FUCKING TORCHINSKY and his WEIRD ASS PERSPECTIVE, I want HOLY BALLS A BRAND FUCKING NEW MUSTANG JUST UP AND SHAT ITSELF AT A PRESSER, HERE’S PIX, that ‘s a headline that has classic Torch all over it. If the manufacturer doesn’t like that well, maybe don’t grind out half-assed cars. If they have to be shamed into doing better, shame them!
You’re one of the bastions of the free press, Torch! Hold the line!
gosh, exploding driveshafts, kick-backs, weak holes in tender documents, favoritism nepotism, official purposeful distortions, fake sh**, half-truths – you name it, there are thousands of times where you – autojourno – or any other professional – are confronted with a moral dilemma of varying degree and you put yourself on the block. If not professionally, maybe personally (you know what you saw). I wish everybody best of luck on their calls and personally can only say, be true to yourself. And ark with the consequences of your actions, recognize responsibility, and don’t blame others.
That said, its only a driveshaft ffs. uhum. Sorry for the heavy load here but I just got boned. Retrospective is divine. Should’ve called it.
Yeah, major part failure is newsworthy. You could have said how it was being abused, but that seems like something people should know.
I’m sure the other “journalists” were more worried about not getting the next invite.
That sounds pretty accurate
The TFL effect.
That’s exactly it, following an unspoken, but well-understood, code of what you shall and shan’t say lest your invitations get lost in the mail from now on
Automakers have revoked media test drives and loaner cars for a lot less than reporting on a failed driveshaft, Subaru revoked the Truth About Cars’ access over their criticism of the Benign Tribeca’s grille design
Given that 12 years have passed and this carbon fiber driveshaft is among the exulted pantheon of Ford components that have NOT been subject to a recall, I think you’re good.
And that’s why we love it here.