Here's a look behind the scenes of Turismo Carretera media life. Mauricio Mansilla, head of press and communication for the ACTC, recently stepped up as a guest speaker during a class for the Motor Sport Training with an Orientation in Communication program taught by Sergio Giannotti at Bogotá 166.
Drawing on thirty years inside the motorsport world, Mansilla focused his talk on the realities of working television pit lanes and navigating the delicate dance between reporters and drivers. “The talk was aimed at my work in the pits for television. Many wanted to know what is done in certain situations, opinions of journalism in motor racing, the relationships between the journalist and the driver, at what moments to ask the questions and when to go for a little more,” he explained.
That paddock dynamic is entirely unique compared to other sports, according to the journalist from Agustín Roca. Racing reporters and drivers share grueling weekend-long environments together, but Mansilla stressed that the resulting familiarity must never erode journalistic duty or respect for the audience. “The relationship with journalists is very different from other sports disciplines because here we live together a whole weekend, but that coexistence and good relationship must not cover up the fact that we are journalists and that we owe ourselves to a public with respect involved,” he said.
The students kept the veteran on his toes, with one sharp question stopping him in his tracks: how to maintain the exact same passion after thirty decades in the sport. The machines, the crowds, the generations, and the drivers themselves have all transformed over the years, but his love for the craft remains completely untouched alongside the necessity of adapting to new eras.
Beyond the storytelling, the session carried real-world weight. Mansilla also touched on the practical opportunities awaiting students through potential internships with ACTC Media TV, noting that while theory builds the foundation, real hands-on practice ultimately decides if a person belongs in the environment.
