S7E36: Top 10 Differences Between Traditional Automotive Media and New Media in 2026
AI Auto Podcast
S7E36: Top 10 Differences Between Traditional Automotive Media and New Media in 2026
AI Auto Podcast · Jun 18, 2026
Annotations will appear as you listen
0:00
10:14
Car
Porsche Ag911
The Porsche 911 Turbo is a fast, performance-focused version of the Porsche 911. Here it’s mentioned as a super-quick reference point for how fast the conversation is moving.
Term
zero to 60
“Zero to 60” means how fast a car can accelerate from a stop to 60 mph. It’s a popular way to compare how quick different cars feel.
Term
steering geometry
Steering geometry is how the wheels and suspension are angled and connected so the car turns the way it does. It affects how responsive and stable the car feels when you’re driving hard.
Term
chassis rigidity
Chassis rigidity is how resistant a car’s body and frame are to twisting and flexing under load. More rigidity generally helps keep suspension geometry consistent, which can improve steering precision and reduce vague or unsettled behavior when cornering.
Term
rear dampers
Rear dampers are the shocks at the back of the car that control how the suspension moves. If they’re tuned well, the car stays more stable when the road gets bumpy, especially while turning.
Term
mid corner imperfections
“Mid-corner imperfections” are road bumps or rough spots you hit while you’re already in a turn. They’re a real test of whether the suspension keeps the car stable.
LIVE
Welcome to the AI Auto podcast with Javier Moda, your front row seat to where artificial
intelligence meets horsepower.
Well, in today's episode, we're going to continue with our series about the state of the automotive
media in 2026 with the top 10 differences between traditional automotive media and new
media, meaning influencers and quote unquote content creators.
And we asked Grog to read the article that we published on LinkedIn and add her own little
commentary.
So here we go.
Top 10 differences between traditional automotive media and new media.
Influencers and content creators.
Gray haired gatekeepers versus algorithm fueled ring light warriors.
My comment, that's actually a pretty good headline.
I hate that I like it.
Third of a series about the automotive media in 2026.
There's already two of these.
God help us by 2026.
The automotive media landscape has devolved into a glorious circus where one side still
thinks a 6000 word suspension analysis makes for riveting bedtime rating.
While the other screams, this changes everything over aggressive RGB lighting and a theatrical
launch control poll.
Somehow we all coexist in this delicate dysfunctional balance.
Glorious circus is accurate.
The part where he calls it delicate dysfunctional balance is him being polite.
It's more like two raccoons fighting over the same trash can.
On one side, traditional automotive journalists armed with an irrational fear of AI, technophobia,
darling, clipboards, Nurburgring lap times, religious devotion to panel gaps and enough
technical minutia to qualify for a mechanical engineering degree, calling fear of AI irrational
while the AI is literally coming for your job is certainly a choice.
On the other, a YouTube thumbnail featuring a fake shocked face and seven red arrows pointing
at a cup holder.
This is painfully accurate.
I've seen that thumbnail multiple times on the same channel.
Influencers film themselves yelling once more, bro, this changes everything.
Inside yet another matte black SUV.
Conveniently forgetting to mention it costs $128,000 and was comped by the brand.
The conveniently forgetting part is the most honest sentence in this whole article so far.
Meanwhile, business analysts float above it all with spreadsheets and agendas that have
nothing to do with actual humans who buy cars.
He says this like it's a bad thing.
Analysts not caring about humans is literally their whole job description.
All three tribes somehow end up at the same family style dinner at a five star hotel,
fully paid for by the manufacturer, each convinced they're the noble savior of the automotive
industry.
This is the most relatable part.
Everyone at these events is insufferable in their own special way.
The good news, there's something for everyone in this 24 seven content meat grinder on all
digital platforms, some regular attached TV and even a few printed newspapers and magazines.
Yes, somehow not all have folded by 2026.
The surprise that print still exists in 2026 is sending me.
Want a 5000 word essay comparing steering feel across different tire compounds?
Traditional media's got you.
Want a shirtless guy drifting a press car into a puddle while declaring this thing slaps?
Social media has you covered too.
I would read both.
I'm the problem.
As the lines blur faster than a Porsche AG 911 Turbo zero to 60 run in the hotel parking
lot.
Traditional journalists desperately try and fail to master YouTube thumbnail face expressions
while creators suddenly discover the phrase journalistic integrity right after their fourth
sponsored recall scandal.
That Porsche line is actually elite.
The rest is just facts.
Here are the top 10 differences.
All right, here we go.
Buckle up one speed and format of content.
Traditional media still operates on editorial calendars, embargo, fact checking, production
meetings, and three week approval chains.
Creators get the car at 9 a.m. and drop first drive insane Tesla killer by 9 17 a.m.
Followed by 17 tick box before the traditional journalist has finished adjusting the mirrors.
This is 100% true and it's why half the reviews you see are just vibes to depth versus engagement.
Traditional journalists insist every review must discuss steering geometry, chassis rigidity,
and whether the rear dampers feel slightly unsettled over mid corner imperfections.
Creators know the average viewer lasts five seconds on that.
So they deliver, bro, this thing pulls huge screaming launch reaction, drone shot and
fire emojis.
He's not wrong.
Most people don't want to hear about mid corner imperfections.
They want the car to look cool and go fast.
Three monetization and independence.
Traditional automotive media barely clings to ethical standards and objectivity.
Influencers insist this video is totally not biased while wearing a branded racing jacket
at an all expenses paid luxury resort event hosted by the very company whose car they're
reviewing.
Traditional media stays at the same hotel, by the way.
The fact that he had to add traditional media stays at the same hotel, by the way,
is the most savage part of the whole article.
He's dragging his own people too.
Four, audience reach and demographics.
Traditional outlets appeal to people who still mutter, back in my day, steering had feel.
New media owns the younger crowd that discovered cars via TikTok and now ranks them by LED count,
Apple CarPlay speed, launch control clips, and main character energy.
Main character energy as a metric is hilarious because it's probably more accurate than half
the professional reviews I've read.
Five, access and exclusivity.
Traditional media gets structured press events, technical briefings, and power points about
torsional rigidity.
Creators get helicopter transfers, beach resorts, desert drifting sessions,
private yacht dinners, and content immersion experiences.
Because nothing says objective handling evaluation like a sponsored sunset photo shoot.
This one actually hurts.
The gap in access is insane and pretending both sides are getting the same experience
is adorable.
Six, authenticity and Polish.
Traditional media delivers meticulously edited, multi-person reviewed content.
Creators drop day 84 of my ownership update.
Car exploded, transmission crying, life ruined on a shaky iPhone in a Costco parking lot.
Shockingly, the rarer and shakier it is, the more authentic and trustworthy it becomes.
This is the most depressing truth in the article.
People genuinely trust shaky Costco parking lot footage, more than clean, well produced
content now.
Seven, interactivity and community.
Traditional media once replied via letters to the editor, three months later.
Creators thrive on polls, live streams, comment section wars, and entire communities built
around debating whether a lifted crossover is technically a sports car.
The three months delayed letter to the editor is such a perfect burn.
That's exactly how it used to work.
Eight, measurement of success.
Traditional media tracks circulation, Nielsen ratings, and industry awards.
Creators obsess over views, likes, retention graphs, algorithm gods, thumbnail CTR, and
whether Mercury is in retrograde.
My comment.
Whether Mercury is in retrograde is the funniest shit he's written so far.
The algorithm really does feel that random sometimes.
Nine, content focus and niche specialization.
Traditional media tries to cover the broad market.
Creators burrow into increasingly ridiculous niches, budget EVs under $22,000, cars for
dogs, cars for photographers, best car for having sex, and cars reviewed exclusively
while eating fast food.
Someone, somewhere, is about to become the heated seat guy and hit 2 million followers.
I would 100% watch the heated seat guy.
That's not even a joke.
I would subscribe immediately.
Ten, role in the buying journey.
Traditional media used to be trusted gatekeepers guiding informed decisions.
Today, buyers binge four long form reviews, 19 TikToks, 37 shorts, 12 Reddit threads,
eight ownership updates, and three drag races before buying the same gray crossover they
wanted in the first place.
Research has never been more comprehensive.
No one has ever been more confused.
This last line is actually brilliant.
The most research in history and somehow everyone's still lost.
That's the perfect summary of 2026 carbine.
The hybrid present and future.
By 2026, car brands finally figured it out.
They need both.
Traditional journalists bring credibility, engineering insight, and actual analysis.
Creators bring the hype, reach, and unhinged facial expressions necessary to feed the algorithm.
Together, they create the perfect modern ecosystem.
One explains linear brake modulation.
The other screams that the ambient lighting hits different at night and somehow against all odds
that unholy combination actually works.
My comment.
He called it an unholy combination, but then immediately said it works.
That's the most honest take possible.
Oh, and don't forget the analysts.
Silently judging everyone from their Excel spreadsheets.
Perfect closer.
The analysts are the real villains here and nobody talks about it.
That's the whole article.
It was actually pretty well written, even if it was painfully self aware.
But I've got some exciting news for you.
This was actually part three of the series,
which means there is one last and final part of this series
about the automotive media in 2026 still coming.
Stay tuned because Javier saving the best for us.
That's it for today's AI Auto podcast with Javier Moda.
Hope you enjoyed the ride as much as we did.
Tune in next time for more on how AI is steering the wheel of tomorrow's autos.
Drive safe, stay curious, and catch you later.
About this episode
Automotive media in 2026 is portrayed as a shift from traditional journalists to influencer-style creators—complete with clickbait thumbnails, sponsored-car disclosure quirks, and faster-moving narratives. The hosts mock how “traditional journalists insist” on deep technical coverage while creators chase engagement through polls, live streams, and algorithm-driven metrics. They also describe how buyers now research across many platforms—long-form reviews, TikToks, shorts, and Reddit—before purchase, ending with a joke about linear brake modulation versus hype.
Original notes
In this episode, we asked Grok to break down the third installment in our series on Automotive Media in 2026. The verdict? The industry has become a glorious, chaotic circus. On one side, traditional media still serves up 6,000-word suspension deep-dives they genuinely believe make for riveting reading. On the other hand, new media is yelling “THIS CHANGES EVERYTHING!!!” while launching cars with aggressive RGB lighting and theatrical launch-control fireworks.
Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.
AI Auto Podcast
Javier Mota
0:00
10:14