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NASCAR Citizen Journalists Media Corps

Discussion in 'Journalism topics only' started by taz, Jul 17, 2009.

  1. rpmmutant

    rpmmutant Member

    As one of the citizen journalists on the list, I can honestly say I will not be traveling to every Cup race. I will only be able to attend the races at Auto Club Speedway and some of the Las Vegas and Sonoma races.
    However, I do attend almost every race at Toyota Speedway at Irwindale, a NASCAR-sanctioned short track.
    NASCAR is bigger than Cup. My philosophy is that people will not be going to my website for news on Cup. But when Patrick Long, a two-time 24 Hours of Le Mans champion, shows up to race a late model at Irwindale, I write about it. Irwindale attracts some rising stars and high-profile drivers. It is home to the All-Star Showdown and gets one or two West Series races a year. It's not exactly the major leagues of stock car racing, but there are a number of good stories to write about every weekend.
    Plus, my site is more than NASCAR. There are races in Southern California almost every week. NHRA, IRL, USAC and the Lucas Oil Off Road Series race out here all the time. I am never at a loss for races to cover.
     
  2. Johnny Dangerously

    Johnny Dangerously Well-Known Member

    I'd be interested to know whether the veterans in this group object to being called citizen journalists.
     
  3. rpmmutant

    rpmmutant Member

    Hate it. Even told NASCAR I hated it.
     
  4. ThatGuy

    ThatGuy Member

    But did they actually call you first? I know of at least one person who also hates being on the list but was never called to say he was on there...plus I assume you already get all the access you need considering your background, so what's the point, in NASCAR's view, of being on the list?
     
  5. ThatGuy

    ThatGuy Member

    C'mon the Bad Groove is a hard hitting NASCAR blog...the authors bio:
    "Amy is a little bit country and a whole lotta rock n' roll. She lives on the central coast of California with her tri-color beagle, Roxy. She has a weird tendency to block print when she writes, loves the colors pink and purple, and has a thing for writing. She loves spending time with and spoiling her nephew, reading, crocheting, and talking NASCAR. She loves to take pictures, has a bizarre fascination with European board games, and likes being a general pain in the arse. Her favorite Sunday afternoon activity: watching a NASCAR race. This is her story. "

    And Geez her latest post shows all the exciting pictures she entered in the county fair!...no seriously...
     
  6. rpmmutant

    rpmmutant Member

    In a way, it legitimizes the website I started to cover NASCAR and auto racing in a digital form. To be honest, my freelance assignments dictate which races I cover these days. Without a newspaper or freelance assignment, I don't know how much access I would have to some of the NASCAR races. At least now I can request credentials to races without having to go through an existing publication to get them.
    As for who contacted who first, when I found out what NASCAR was doing, I was curious and asked around. Apparently I was on their radar. I don't mind being on the list, in fact I think the more exposure, the better for my site. I don't like the term citizen journalist. I have been a professional journalist since my sophomore year of college. Being called a citizen journalist makes it sound amateurish, but it's a small price at this point.
     
  7. Johnny Dangerously

    Johnny Dangerously Well-Known Member

    I would feel like you do. What we do has been devalued by many in recent months, and when professional journalists begin to be defined as citizen journalists, that's a further erosion.
     
  8. Clerk Typist

    Clerk Typist Guest

    Citizen journalist approved by NASCAR = Posse approved by country sheriff.
    The bad news is, as in rpm's case, being identified as an amateur when you're really a pro. I think NASCAR put some pros on the list just to make the list longer.
     
  9. tapintoamerica

    tapintoamerica Well-Known Member

    Wonder how many on that list will take on the Mayfield story ......
     
  10. playthrough

    playthrough Moderator Staff Member

    I want to see any racing journalist do that. Better come prepared with running shoes and/or a golf cart.
     
  11. LJ Burgess

    LJ Burgess New Member

    Yes, we're in...and we won't be going away any time soon.

    Bleacher Report has a minimum one writer per track, in some cases, multiple writers in one region.

    I am 30 minutes from Dover and 2.5 hours from Richmond but other writers won the toss, so I have to move to Hardcore or Speedway Media to close the deal.

    It's gratifying.

    Turns must be taken.
     
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