Transport Topics Carves Out Objective Position

Can a for-profit newspaper owned by an association whose primary mission is advocacy be an objective business-to-business publication?

Yes, says Bob Rast, publisher of Transport Topics. TT is published weekly by Transport Topics Publishing Group, a division of American Trucking Associations. In an interview, Rast bluntly addressed the issue of ATA’s ownership of the 66-year-old, self-proclaimed “national newspaper of the trucking industry.”

“In the past, TT often steered clear of covering the association in order to avoid the conflict. We are developing a philosophy that we are owned by ATA and speak from the perspective of the trucking industry,” Rast said. “When we encounter a situation where the association has a point of view that may come into conflict with others in the industry, we try to report what the critics are saying and give both ATA and the industry a forum to put forth their opinions.

“Unless we provide useful, credible information, we will be of no real value to our subscribers.”

For the full story, see the Nov. 1 print edition of Transport Topics. Subscribe today.