Automotive trade magazines have been part of the industry since 1899. The first one to appear was called Motor Age and it’s still around. I had the honor of being the Editorial Director of Motor Age early in my career, and learned that trade publications are an important resource to keep their readers abreast of the latest news and information, along with advances in technology and legislation that directly impact their daily lives. What some don’t realize is that trade publications are also an important source of technical training to help those same readers stay sharp and make them aware of what they don’t know. Those trade publishers serve as the voice of the industry and are also an important facet of the organizations and individuals who make up Team ASE.

In this episode, we talk with Chris Jones, Editorial Director of the Vehicle Repair Group at Endeavor Business Media. Chris is the latest in a long line of editors charting the direction of the trade magazines Endeavor publishes which cover pretty much all segments of the automotive service and collision repair industries. He shares his insights into how trade publishing has evolved and what it means to the readers he serves.

Hear all about it as we talk with Chris about:

· How the automotive trade magazines serve the industries they cover and supplement the ongoing training necessary for today’s technicians.

· What Endeavor Business Media is and what automotive markets they cover.

· Chris’ direct responsibilities as Editorial Director and how he came to be at Endeavor.

· How publications have changes over the years to use online resources and podcasts to share information.

· The biggest challenges working in the technical arena as an editor.

· How Chris leverages his involvement and industry events to find the most effective and useful content for his magazines.

· The process for finding candidates to fill his Editorial Board.

· The importance of giving the industry a voice.

· How the magazines stay true to their mission over the years.

· Why technology has allowed magazines to get even closer to their readers.

For more information on ASE and automotive careers, visit the website at www.ase.com