As the COVID-19 restrictions continue, normalcy remains months (or more) away. Mainstream media continues to cover the pandemic and its effects on world health and economy, but verticals like automotive and tech are mostly back to their typical content streams. With a core competency in automotive communications, Stratacomm remains up to speed with this media group’s storytelling needs.

We previously interviewed Perry Stern for his take on covering automotive during COVID-19 and are continuing our outreach with freelance automotive journalist, Andrew Ganz. Andrew contributes regularly to Autotrader, Motor Authority, Motor1 and more.

Steve Diehlman: Have you found yourself showing more interest and writing about topics or companies that you would have passed on before?

Andrew Ganz: To a certain degree, yes. I rarely wrote about car maintenance and improvements, and now that has been a popular request from editors. I’m sure I’m not alone in using some of this unexpected downtime to get caught up on car projects, and articles helping drivers take care of their vehicles seem to be performing well right now. 

AG: For one, I try not to catch mainstream news after about noon. This is a huge shift for me as just a month ago I was a voracious news consumer. When it comes to car content, I haven’t changed my reading habits much. I’m favoring long-form articles more, which may be a byproduct of having a little more downtime on my hands. At the same time, I’m also trying to be better about cutting my day off before dinner to reduce my screen time. With so little to do outside the house aside from cycling and dog walks, I’m finding myself nearly glued to my desk chair from about 7 am until 5 pm, and that’s far from healthy!