In my latest episode of ‘Inside Motorsport Media,’ I talk to veteran journalist Anthony Peacock about how motorsport journalism has changed, the biggest challenges that the media faces today, what journalists really want from drivers, and why it matters for the sport’s future.
From APE to the paddock
When Anthony applied for a job at Autosport some 25+ years ago, he thought the position required him to become some sort of primate. The role was for an APE, which stands for Assistant Production Editor, rather than anything zoological.
“I applied for the job to become an ape, and I became an ape,” he laughs. “It turned out to be more logistics than writing, and after six months, his editor told him bluntly: “You’re terrible at production. The good news is, we’ll make you a writer.”
”It was a fitting start for someone whose career would be defined by adaptability and an appetite for the unexpected. Early assignments brought colorful moments, from cooking pasta with Minardi’s chef to interviewing Grand Prix star James Garner on his knees after Anthony’s dictaphone fell through a coffee table. These experiences cemented his instinct for human-centered storytelling.
Today, Anthony works across both journalism and PR. This dual perspective gives him unique insights into how motorsport media has transformed over the past two decades.
Why print still matters
Having witnessed journalism’s transformation from print-only to digital-native, Anthony maintains a strong belief in the enduring power of print. “I still believe that print journalism is at the heart of credibility,” he argues. “Something in print, to me, carries more weight than something online, simply because of the permanence of it.”
This permanence, he believes, instills crucial discipline. “On the occasions when you made a mistake, being in print, it was really mortifying.”
Yet Anthony isn’t nostalgic about the medium itself, and he recognizes that consumption patterns have fundamentally shifted. “I think print is just as relevant today, but habits are changing. The comparison he draws is television: “When we were kids, we had a choice of four or five channels. Now you have thousands, and people probably watch more TV than ever, but attention is fragmented.”
The fragmentation challenge
This increase of choice creates both opportunities and challenges. While traditional media still carries weight – “a media outlet like the BBC still stands for something,” Anthony says – the fragmented landscape makes it harder to shape public opinion authoritatively. “There are so many voices coming from different directions that it’s hard to get your one voice heard in an authoritative way,” he says.
The explosion of niche publications means that almost every specific interest is catered to. Still, it also means competing for attention in an increasingly crowded space. For Anthony, the solution lies in leveraging what traditional journalism does best: credibility built over time. “When it comes to hearing opinions and news, people do trust the weight of history. The fact that a publication, a TV channel, or a person has been around for a long time tends to increase their trustworthiness.”
Navigating fake news
The democratization of publishing has made fact-checking both more crucial and more complex. “It’s so easy to see how you could be sucked in by fake news,” Anthony observes. “Even your trusted sources might be influenced by something they’ve heard somewhere.”
His approach has evolved to rely more heavily on long-term relationships with proven sources. “I probably go to fewer sources for a story than I used to, but the people I know and trust have shown over the years that they are credible.”
This emphasis on relationship-building extends to his counter-strategy against declining trust in the media. Rather than chasing headlines or breaking news, Anthony focuses on “giving people stories which are interesting and fun to read, and are based on credible sources”. His approach centers on authenticity: “When I interview people, I think ‘What’s the essence of this person, and what would be interesting to say about this person that most people might not know yet.”
The economic reality
Perhaps the biggest challenge facing journalism today isn’t technological but economic. “The biggest challenge will be making a living out of it, actually,” Anthony states bluntly. “People are reading, there’s no doubt about that. But it’s harder for journalists to make a living out of it because it’s harder for publishing houses to make a profit.”
The shift to free content has fundamentally altered reader expectations. “The majority of content is free now, whereas in the past, you’d have to buy a newspaper or magazine. People just aren’t used to paying money to read news, information, and features anymore.”
This economic pressure threatens the quality of journalism itself. Anthony predicts that motorsport journalism might increasingly become a part-time pursuit: “You’ll have the same journalists writing, but they may not be doing it on a full-time professional basis. So they might not be travelling to races and having in-person interviews. They’ll be relying more on second-hand sources. The risk is that the quality goes down.”
Anthony Peacock at Spa
Media access: A tale of two worlds
When it comes to media access, Anthony draws a sharp distinction between Formula One and everything else. “In Formula One, it’s definitely become harder. In other forms of motorsport, like rallying for instance, it has always been good.” The contrast is stark: “Most of the rally drivers are happy for you to have their mobile phone number, and you can call them anytime. That just doesn’t happen in Formula One.”
The difference extends to how PR teams operate. Outside Formula One, “the PR person will very much help you,” while in F1, “access is tough, and the PR team is more like a shield around the driver rather than a facilitator for media.”
This disparity affects the type of content drivers can create themselves. In Formula One, “drivers are very limited as to what they can do” due to the financial stakes involved.
Elsewhere in motorsport, creativity flourishes. Anthony recently encountered a flat track rider with his own OnlyFans channel – used for behind-the-scenes racing content rather than its typical purpose. “You see all sorts of fun things going on because there’s less money at stake in the lower categories. And even if someone does something on social media that’s a bit edgy, it’s not a career breaker. In fact, it probably helps.”
What journalists really want
After years of interviews across different motorsport disciplines, Anthony has identified what makes sources genuinely valuable: thoughtful responses that reveal personality. “Any driver who starts off by saying, ‘Let me tell you a story’ has already got your attention because they’re providing thought and context.”
The content doesn’t need to be groundbreaking. Anthony recalls interviewing a driver about his favorite TV programs and films. “That was rather banal, but very interesting, because it revealed the person behind the helmet,” he explains
The future of journalism: unlimited possibilities
Despite the challenges, Anthony sees genuine reasons for optimism in journalism’s future. The digital revolution has removed traditional constraints in ways that create unprecedented opportunities. “There aren’t any limits anymore, which is great. Websites have literally no deadlines, no limits, no word counts.”
This freedom extends to content possibilities. Formula One’s growing mainstream appeal has opened doors that were unimaginable years ago. “You get a lot of different celebrities involved in F1 nowadays, and you have the opportunity to create interesting content with them as well.”
Anthony experienced this firsthand when he secured a quote from Michael Douglas for a completely unrelated story. “I was expecting to hear nothing, and suddenly this quote from Michael Douglas arrived. That would never have happened ten years ago.”
The transformation is profound: from the rigid structures of print deadlines and word counts to a landscape where, as Anthony puts it, “nothing is off the table.” For journalists willing to adapt and innovate in an industry grappling with economic pressures and changing consumption habits, the opportunities have never been greater, even if making a living from them remains challenging.
