The magazine editor also pointed out what a novice could do to cover the competitive beat well.

“The race to be the first has only increased in recent times,” Chandran told the class via Zoom on July 20.

Automotive journalism has a need for people who are passionate, enthusiastic, and can learn on the job, Chandran said.

“You do not need to be an engineer, a Rossi or Hamilton, or a journalism graduate,” he said, stressing instead on the importance of creating work that stands out, the need to multitask and the ability to produce content for traditional and new media.

A huge factor in auto journalism is to see past the glamour and do it for the right reasons, the veteran journalist pointed out.

“It’s important to know that you won’t be driving a Ferrari on the first day. Our shoots start as early as 4 am most days!,” Chandran said, adding that good automobile journalism was also about writing responsibly with the understanding that your bad review could result in people losing jobs.