Dan Neil (journalist)
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Dan Neil is an American journalist, widely known an automotive columnist for ''
The Wall Street Journal ''The Wall Street Journal'' (''WSJ''), also referred to simply as the ''Journal,'' is an American newspaper based in New York City. The newspaper provides extensive coverage of news, especially business and finance. It operates on a subscriptio ...
'' and a former staff writer at the ''
Los Angeles Times The ''Los Angeles Times'' is an American Newspaper#Daily, daily newspaper that began publishing in Los Angeles, California, in 1881. Based in the Greater Los Angeles city of El Segundo, California, El Segundo since 2018, it is the List of new ...
'', '' AutoWeek'' and ''
Car and Driver ''Car and Driver'' (''CD'' or ''C/D'') is an American automotive enthusiast magazine first published in 1955. In 2006 its total circulation was 1.23 million. It is owned by Hearst Magazines, who purchased it from its prior owner Hachette Fi ...
.'' He was a panelist on 2011's ''The Car Show'' with
Adam Carolla Adam Carolla (born May 27, 1964) is an American radio personality, comedian, actor and podcaster. He hosts '' The Adam Carolla Show'', a talk show distributed as a podcast which set the record as the "most downloaded podcast" as judged by ''Guin ...
on
Speed Channel Speed was an American sports-oriented cable and satellite television network that was owned by the Fox Sports Media Group division of 21st Century Fox. The network was dedicated to motorsports programming, including auto racing, as well as a ...
. In 1999, Neil received the International Motor Press Association's ''Ken Purdy Award'' for automotive journalism, and in 2004 Neil won the
Pulitzer Prize for Criticism The Pulitzer Prize for Criticism has been presented since 1970 to a newspaper writer in the United States who has demonstrated 'distinguished criticism'. Recipients of the award are chosen by an independent board and officially administered by C ...
, presented annually to a newspaper writer who has demonstrated 'distinguished criticism.' Awarded for his ''LA Times'' column ''Rumble Seat,'' the Pulitzer board noted Neil's ''"one-of-a-kind reviews of automobiles, blending technical expertise with offbeat humor and astute cultural criticism."'' Journalist
Brooke Gladstone Brooke Gladstone (born 1955) is an American journalist, author, and media analyst. She is the host and managing editor of the WNYC radio program '' On the Media''. Early life and education Gladstone was born in Long Island, New York, one of ...
called Neil "the
Oscar Wilde Oscar Fingal O'Fflahertie Wills Wilde (16 October 185430 November 1900) was an Irish author, poet, and playwright. After writing in different literary styles throughout the 1880s, he became one of the most popular and influential playwright ...
of auto reviewers." Freelance automotive journalist Thomas Bey called Neil "the thinking man's smart ass."


Background

Neil was born in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania, on January 12, 1960, and moved to
New Bern, North Carolina New Bern, formerly Newbern, is a city in Craven County, North Carolina, United States, and its county seat. It had a population of 31,291 at the 2020 United States census, 2020 census. It is located at the confluence of the Neuse River, Neuse a ...
, at age 4. His father was an engineer with Stanley Powertools and his mother was a private investigator. He received a B.A. degree in Creative Writing from
East Carolina University East Carolina University (ECU) is a public university in Greenville, North Carolina, United States. It is the List of universities in North Carolina by enrollment, fourth largest university in North Carolina and the only one in the state with s ...
and an M.A. degree in
English Literature English literature is literature written in the English language from the English-speaking world. The English language has developed over more than 1,400 years. The earliest forms of English, a set of Anglo-Frisian languages, Anglo-Frisian d ...
from
North Carolina State University North Carolina State University (NC State, North Carolina State, NC State University, or NCSU) is a public university, public Land-grant university, land-grant research university in Raleigh, North Carolina, United States. Founded in 1887 and p ...
. Neil is married to Tina Larsen Neil and has twin daughters, Rosalind and Vivienne — as well as a son, Henry (Hank) Neil, from his first marriage. After four years of trying to get pregnant and several in-vitro fertilization procedures, Neil's wife conceived four embryos in a high risk, "white knuckle pregnancy." Facing further complications, he and his wife chose to abort two of the fetuses. Neil wrote about the experience for the
LA Times The ''Los Angeles Times'' is an American daily newspaper that began publishing in Los Angeles, California, in 1881. Based in the Greater Los Angeles city of El Segundo since 2018, it is the sixth-largest newspaper in the U.S. and the large ...
. Neil lived in Los Angeles before moving again to North Carolina, when he left the L.A. Times and began writing for ''The Wall Street Journal''.


Early career

Neil began his professional writing career with the ''
Spectator ''Spectator'' or ''The Spectator'' may refer to: *Spectator sport, a sport that is characterized by the presence of spectators, or watchers, at its matches *Audience Publications Canada * '' The Hamilton Spectator'', a Hamilton, Ontario, Canada, ...
'', a local free weekly, and began working for ''
The News & Observer ''The News & Observer'' is an American regional daily newspaper that serves the greater Triangle area based in Raleigh, North Carolina. The paper is the largest in circulation in the state (second is the '' Charlotte Observer''). The paper has be ...
'' of
Raleigh, North Carolina Raleigh ( ) is the List of capitals in the United States, capital city of the U.S. state of North Carolina. It is the List of municipalities in North Carolina, second-most populous city in the state (after Charlotte, North Carolina, Charlotte) ...
as an obituary writer in 1985. In interviews he has said his goals at the time were to "learn to write and see the world." Neil was recruited by '' AutoWeek'' magazine in 1994 as a senior contributing editor. In 1995, he began contributing reviews to ''
The New York Times ''The New York Times'' (''NYT'') is an American daily newspaper based in New York City. ''The New York Times'' covers domestic, national, and international news, and publishes opinion pieces, investigative reports, and reviews. As one of ...
,'' which he continued until 2003. Beginning with his work at ''The News & Observer,'' Neil developed his writing style, combining humor with pragmatic insight,
literary Literature is any collection of written work, but it is also used more narrowly for writings specifically considered to be an art form, especially novels, plays, and poems. It includes both print and digital writing. In recent centuries, ...
analogies and personal experience. Neil worked with the Raleigh paper until 1996, when he was fired. He subsequently worked as a free-lance journalist, including five years as contributing editor to ''
Car and Driver ''Car and Driver'' (''CD'' or ''C/D'') is an American automotive enthusiast magazine first published in 1955. In 2006 its total circulation was 1.23 million. It is owned by Hearst Magazines, who purchased it from its prior owner Hachette Fi ...
''. In 1999 Neil was named senior contributing editor for travel magazine ''Expedia Travels,'' a post he held through 2001. In 1999, Neil won the Ken Purdy Award for Excellence in Automotive Journalism, from the International Motor Press Association. In 2002, his work was selected for Houghton Mifflin's Best American Sports Writing.


Firing from the ''News & Observer''

In 1991, Dan Neil had been moved from the newsroom of the ''News & Observer'' to the classified advertising department with the expectation "that he would write dealer-friendly pieces to attract readers to the newspaper's automobile classified section." In contrast to the newsroom, where Neil had worked with editors, he noticed his copy was no longer edited. "For seven years, I had unfettered access to 200,000 readers." Neil's writing eventually reflected the lack of constraint. Neil's January 1996 review of the
Ford Expedition The Ford Expedition is a full-size SUV produced by Ford since the 1997 model year. The successor to the Ford Bronco, the Expedition shifted its form factor from an off-road oriented vehicle to a truck-based station wagon. Initially competing ...
described a back-seat encounter with his girlfriend, writing "this was loving, consensual and — given the Expedition's dual airbags, side impact beams and standard four-wheel anti-lock brakes — safe sex." The News and Observer reported Neil's recollection of the column in an interview years later:
''"I wrote at some point about the kids getting into the Ford Expedition and commenting on the 'footprints' on the windshield. Well, that was just it! People went crazy! It was kind of like
Janet Jackson Janet Damita Jo Jackson (born May 16, 1966) is an American singer, songwriter, actress and dancer. She is noted for her innovative, socially conscious and sexually provocative records, as well as elaborate stage shows. Her sound and choreogr ...
's costume malfunction -- a none too daring transgression, overall, but the thing that finally sent people over the edge."''
Put on probation for the article, Neil was instructed to have his articles reviewed by an editor as well as the director of classified auto advertising. Refusing, he was subsequently fired, and wrote in a later ''Independent Weekly'' article that he was fired "for refusing to have my column vetted by the classified advertising department." Editors from ''The News & Observer'' contended that it was disingenuous to suggest that advertisers pressured the paper into firing Neil, since Neil worked for an
advertorial An advertorial is an advertisement in the form of editorial content. The term "advertorial" is a blend word, blend (see portmanteau) of the words "advertisement" and "editorial". Merriam-Webster dates the origin of the word to 1946. In printed pub ...
section of the advertising department at the time. The incident highlighted the growing issue that newspapers, under economic pressure, have in maintaining the virtual wall between the "church" of news gathering and the "state" of advertising sales, sometimes known as a
Chinese wall A Chinese wall or ethical wall is an information barrier protocol within an organization designed to prevent exchange of information or communication that could lead to conflicts of interest. For example, a Chinese wall may be established to sep ...
. Notably, Keith Bradsher — author of a book about SUV's called '' High and Mighty'' — indicated that among critics, "auto reviewers are the most likely to be compromised by the industry they cover." Speaking in a 2005 radio interview with
Brooke Gladstone Brooke Gladstone (born 1955) is an American journalist, author, and media analyst. She is the host and managing editor of the WNYC radio program '' On the Media''. Early life and education Gladstone was born in Long Island, New York, one of ...
, after receiving the Pulitzer Prize, Neil described the symbiotic relationship between the automobile industry and its critics: ::''"The entire environment is incestuous. They introduce new cars. They fly journalists in and put them up at really nice hotels and, you know, treat them to experiences that they would never possibly in a million years — they wouldn't even be allowed in these hotels ordinarily. You know, and that's not supposed to affect their judgment. But it is a compromised business, and it is also true that newspapers are under a great deal of revenue pressure on this score, and so yeah, a favorable editorial/advertorial content is often created to satisfy that need."


LA Times

In September 2003, Neil became a full-time columnist for the ''Los Angeles Times'' and gained a following for his approach to automotive writing, which routinely included industry criticism — including criticism of automakers themselves and government emissions and safety policies. In February 2005, he began writing ''800 Words'', a column about pop culture, for the ''Los Angeles Times Magazine''. The column was syndicated by Tribune Media in 2006. Neil won the American Association of Sunday and Feature Editors award for best general commentary column in 2007. ''800 Words'' was discontinued in 2008 after the ''Los Angeles Times Magazine'' was transferred from the editorial department to the paper's business division — and advertiser control. In February 2010, Neil left the L.A. Times and accepted a position at ''
The Wall Street Journal ''The Wall Street Journal'' (''WSJ''), also referred to simply as the ''Journal,'' is an American newspaper based in New York City. The newspaper provides extensive coverage of news, especially business and finance. It operates on a subscriptio ...
''.


2008 Zell lawsuit

In 2008, Neil participated in a federal class action suit against
Sam Zell Samuel Zell (born Shmuel Zielonka; September 28, 1941 – May 18, 2023) was an American billionaire businessman and philanthropist primarily engaged in real estate investment. Companies founded by or controlled by Zell include Equity Residential ...
, who in 2007 purchased the
Tribune Company Tribune Media Company, also known as Tribune Company, was an American multimedia conglomerate headquartered in Chicago, Illinois. Through Tribune Broadcasting, Tribune Media was one of the largest television broadcasting companies, owning 39 ...
, owner of the
Los Angeles Times The ''Los Angeles Times'' is an American Newspaper#Daily, daily newspaper that began publishing in Los Angeles, California, in 1881. Based in the Greater Los Angeles city of El Segundo, California, El Segundo since 2018, it is the List of new ...
. After the takeover, Zell rated reporters by how many column inches they produced, relinquished the ''Los Angeles Times Magazine'' and other editorial publications to advertiser control — and laid off at least 1,000 employees. Neil called Zell "a corporate raider," adding "he's not a publisher. Newspapers are too important to the public to be treated as just pieces on a financial chessboard." Neil and a group of Times employees claimed violations of the
Employee Retirement Income Security Act The Employee Retirement Income Security Act of 1974 (ERISA) (, codified in part at ) is a U.S. federal tax and labor law that establishes minimum standards for pension plans in private industry. It contains rules on the federal income tax e ...
(ERISA) and alleged that Zell breached his duty of loyalty to Tribune's employees.
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described the suit as putting "the fast-changing newspaper business on trial," noting "newspapers have been under siege since the technology bubble popped in the late 1990s, with problems ranging from declining circulation, advertiser consolidation, classified ads migrating online, rising newsprint costs, bloated debt structures and, yes, over-staffing. Not to mention the rise of Internet news."


References


External links


Rumble Seat
at ''
The Wall Street Journal ''The Wall Street Journal'' (''WSJ''), also referred to simply as the ''Journal,'' is an American newspaper based in New York City. The newspaper provides extensive coverage of news, especially business and finance. It operates on a subscriptio ...
''. {{DEFAULTSORT:Neil, Dan 1960 births Motoring journalists American columnists Los Angeles Times people Pulitzer Prize for Criticism winners East Carolina University alumni Living people People from New Bern, North Carolina The Wall Street Journal people