This Washington Post web-site update reveals that about 3.5 percent of Chrysler’s 2,400 remaining dealerships are having difficulties rolling over their debt. During bankrupcy, Chrysler eliminated the weakest of its dealerships. Also, Chrysler Financial, the automaker’s financing subsidiary was eliminated. Chrysler dealerships using Chrysler Financial were told they could apply to GMAC, GMs financial subsidiary which had received billions in government aid, for financing. Recently, about 80 dealerships were informed they did not meet the GMAC requirements for financing but that GMAC would work with them to help them meet GMAC requirements.
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2009/06/25/AR2009062501772.html?hpid=topnews
This article has a good 30-word summary news lead. A lot of good information in one sentence.
Three quotes were used. I think that one was very useful explaining the situation of some Chrysler dealerships. The other two don’t really seem to contribute anything to the story.
I find the story newsworthy. It gives the public an update on what is happening to Chrysler dealerships now that Chrysler is no longer headline news. Moreover, at least from my point of view, it points out that 96.5 percent of Chrysler dealerships are finding necessary financing – and 3.5 percent are having difficulties which may or may not be overcome.
Balanced reporting? Both my headline and the article’s headline emphasize the 3.5 percent rather than the 96.5 percent who have come through Chrysler’s bankrupcy in good financial shape. I have often been mildly critical of reporters for emphasizing the negative rather than the positive. But now, as a journalism student, I can, perhaps, point out that the reporting is unbalanced.
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