Fossicker
Based on your suggestion and from your support I've sent a letter to Pat Callinan - I wonder if Ill get a reply??. Here is a copy of what I sent
"Dear Scott,
In the last Pat Callinans 4x4 magazine (issue 028) there was a great letter to the editor "Land Rover Loyal". Basically the letter was about a bloke who has been very happy with the many land rovers that he has had in the past. The editor (Scott) responded with something like "its great to hear from a Land Rover Tragic (most of them involving mechanical repairs)...." . With a flurry of your pen you just discredited his email as well as LandRover.
Scott I don’t think this is good journalism and nether is it factual. Why is that magazines in Australia perpetuate the myth of LR’s being un-reliable and requiring constant mechanical repairs - it is simply false and factually baseless. Throw away comments that you may think are funny and in jest will actually drive away landrover owners from your magazine. I don’t see any “throw away” comments about VW and their recalls and their dishonest fuel consumption and emissions control data. I don’t see any throw away comments about the Nissan detonators nor the faulty injectors on the 200 series. Nor do I see any throw away comments about the overheating gearboxes of hiluxes nor the constant recalls. In any case I don’t think good journalism should be about having a crack at different 4x4 makes.
Land Rover have won the most 4x4 awards of any vehicle - awards recognised by even your magazine. Land Rover only build 4X4s and they have lead the way in new technology - Terrain Response, HDC, Traction control and the list goes on - they have made 4x4s a better car to drive - safer and more capable. All the other manufacturers copy and follow LR’s lead. The new Discovery is no different and once again sets the benchmark although no doubt 4x4 journalist will come up with some ludicrous criticisms based on ‘bush ability’ BS and 19inch wheels - never mind the fact that it creates a new benchmark in off-road capability as well as unmatched on-road handling and braking.
Tell me what facts, what evidence do you claim that they are un-reliable requiring mechanical repairs.
I’m surprised that Land Rover Australia hasn’t stood up and said - hey enough is enough - where are your facts and where is your evidence that most LR stories are about mechanical repairs.
LR owners know that their vehicles are just as reliable as any other 4x4 and D3’s and D4’s are reaching 300,000kms without any major repairs not to mention the number of old defenders and D1 and D2’s still exploring Oz.
Land Rover readers want a to read a good magazine that recognises the achievements of the various makes have had including LR. If you keep bagging land rovers then you will eventually alienate a lot of readers and in the long run this will hit your bottom line."
Wizard
Good letter bln. I hope you get a meaningful response.
Commercial product placement bias is the biggest problem facing journalism, from 4WD vehicle reviews, to big data collection based advertising and political message planting. The financial imperatives of which have overtaken the imperatives of unbiased reporting. ...however we all allow it to happen because we buy into it whenever we use commercial media of any kind from farcebook to TV to goggle.
Fossicker
True, the fact is these guys love to rib LR as they think it will ingratiate them with other readers, and in turn, the manufacturers (in the hope that they get another free trip somewhere). But hopefully, what it also does is turn away a significant proportion of their readers, all for the sake of a smart arsed comment. I stopped listening to a popular radio car talk back program because I just couldn't take the crap and the bias that was coming from the 'expert' presenter and commentator. In the end, these journos do influence the majority of the population and hence the practice continues, and will continue unabated while ever people allow themselves to be bought off.Originally Posted by Zeros
And great letter too bln. Maybe you could send that out to all the Australian motoring journos? Or maybe we should all start flooding their email boxes and social media sites with this message! We could even get JLR on board - who knows, we might get a free trip!
ChatterBox
You're quite right, it's just short-term thinking. But isn't everything short-term thinking these days?True, the fact is these guys love to rib LR as they think it will ingratiate them with other readers, and in turn, the manufacturers (in the hope that they get another free trip somewhere). But hopefully, what it also does is turn away a significant proportion of their readers, all for the sake of a smart arsed comment. I stopped listening to a popular radio car talk back program because I just couldn't take the crap and the bias that was coming from the 'expert' presenter and commentator. In the end, these journos do influence the majority of the population and hence the practice continues, and will continue unabated while ever people allow themselves to be bought off.
And great letter too bln. Maybe you could send that out to all the Australian motoring journos? Or maybe we should all start flooding their email boxes and social media sites with this message! We could even get JLR on board - who knows, we might get a free trip!
As for JLR - a free trip? In what??? A Range Rover for the school run?
At any given point in time, somewhere in the world someone is working on a Land-Rover.
Wizard
As for JLR - a free trip? In what??? A Range Rover for the school run?
I'd be quite happy with a RR for the school run. Just fine by me.
ChatterBox
If you could find it in the carpark among all the other ones . . . (okay, now I'm the one stereotyping) . . . oh well, One Life, Live It, etc., etc.
At any given point in time, somewhere in the world someone is working on a Land-Rover.
Wizard
It would stick out like dogs xxxxx at any school where I live!
Yes, it's more dented old Taragos around here.
Catch up
Since OLLI we’ve had “Go Beyond” and now were on “Above and Beyond”
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