Covering Autos in Audio

By Kelly Carr

Dustin Dwyer knew it was going to be a long day.

General Motors Corp. was scheduled to release their first-quarter earnings by 7 a.m. on Wednesday, and as an automotive reporter for Michigan Public Radio, this was a story Dwyer had to be on top of.

Soon after entering the office he realized the nation's largest automaker posted a $3.3 billion loss, the result of a troubled economy, strikes and declining sales of SUV's and pickup trucks.

Dwyer had 30 minutes to get his report to the station's morning host. And he would then spend the remainder of the day filing multiple newscasts, including one broadcasted to a national audience, which stemmed from his beat's breaking news.

Covering one of the most important industries in the world takes a reporter with tenacity, guts and a willingness to learn.

At age 27, Dwyer said the beat requires him to keep asking questions. He writes himself sticky notes to remember financial terms and pulls aside veteran business reporters to capitalize on their expertise. At press conferences, he watches and learns from other automotive reporters.

After two years on the beat, he's realized that the topic he's working to master is one that has a rippling effect not only on the economy, but on people's livelihoods.

"There is no question that what happens in the auto industry affects people's lives," Dwyer said. "If General Motors is not profitable, if they can't fix themselves, people are going to suffer. You don't have that feeling at the end of the day, wondering if I'm reporting on something people care about. You know you are."

Dwyer wasn't planning on being a business reporter, but he began writing automotive stories to fill in coverage gaps, and soon enough, his boss placed him full-time on the beat. It was intimidating, at first, he said. Dealing with complicated terms, high profile executives and stories that affect the nation is a high-charge. But the challenge didn't shake him.

"The first time I did an earnings call, I wasn't even sure what number was their earnings," Dwyer said. "I read an AP story to find out that net income was the number I wanted. But I think that's the way you learn any beat. You learn on the job by doing, from your editor and from your peers."

Since then, Dwyer has worked to establish himself on the beat, often landing national stories broadcasted on National Public Radio. Last week, he reported that Ford Motor Co. posted a $100 million profit in their first quarter. The story was a big deal, considering that the company had a two-year span in which it lost more than $15 million.

Dwyer has covered layoffs, strikes and the release of new environmentally friendly vehicles. His beat takes him inside automotive plants and most recently to a wind tunnel where he learned about testing the aerodynamics of cars.

But what keeps his reporting grounded, he said, is to remember that what happens in the automotive industry directly affects his listeners.

"It might seem daunting to try to figure out what the terms mean in the quarterly earnings report, but if you just remember the story is about people, it's like any other kind of reporting," Dwyer said. "You'll eventually learn the terms and the language, but don't forget to keep focused on, 'how does this affect people's lives?'"

Listen to Dustin Dwyer's radio reporters here.

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Covering Autos in Audio

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