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A name that has flown beneath AWCom’s radar for, perhaps as many as 15 years, resurfaced recently when two news releases from Myron Stokes found our screen. The first release referenced the death of the late U.S. Ambassador extraordinaire Richard Holbrooke, and the other references possible legal action against executives of the North American International Auto Show and others.

Stokes describes himself on his eMotionReports.Com site as an award-winning Detroit-based publisher, a special correspondent and investigative reporter for Newsweek Magazine, Newsweek Japan and Newsweek International and at one time the magazine’s acting Detroit Bureau Chief. His work has appeared in several other publications and he cites a number of big stories in and out of the auto industry that he worked on in the late 80’s and 90’s. eMotionReports.com was founded in 2001 and is sub-titled: “Automotive/Aerospace Industries Systemic Intelligence” and elaborated on as, “well placed to influence those who shape the opinions of those who buy the industry’s product, buy its stock, set the price of its stock, and who regulate them.”

The first release calls attention to his piece posted on the web “Richard Holbrooke’s World: Memories of a Newsweek Special Correspondent – A Quasibiblios by Myron D. Stokes.” Its only connection to the auto industry that AWCom saw was Stokes’ work on a Newsweek Japan cover story on U.S.-Japan trade issues that brought Stokes in contact with then Secretary of Commerce Ron Brown. This, apparently, led to Stokes’ involvement in some “dark” events suppressed until headlines about the late ambassador’s death resurrected them. Stokes acknowledges off the bat that he was not acquainted with Holbrooke but those headlines prompted his own memories of the 1992-1995 Balkans war that he was investigating while Holbrooke was in the midst of brokering what became the Dayton Peace Accords. Stokes’ recollections raise suspicions about the plane crash in Croatia that took the life of Secretary Brown (who had invited Stokes to join him on the flight), the siege at Sarajevo and the genocide at Srebrenica. Proof perhaps that an enterprising auto journalist can build on his or her smarts and contacts to become involved in world affairs.

The second release suggests that such involvement may not be enough or too much to get you journalist credentials for the North American International Auto Show. This release contains news of Stokes being denied media credentials to this year’s show –despite his having been granted them starting in1988. The release says Stokes is pursuing the viability of pursuing litigation based on the assertion/assumption of discrimination. He says in the release, “I have reason to believe this response is associated with the piece ‘2009/2010 Auto Industry Analysis: GM’s Transition to China‘ (http://slidesha.re/4F8lWe) and subsequent analyses” and points to a third party, Shanin, LLC, with connections to Chinese interests and the NAIAS/DADA as being part of the decision to deny him credentials.

Asked what reason show officials offered for denying the credentials. Stokes replied: “Bear in mind that whatever their stated reasons, it was not the reason behind this activity. A parting comment from them was ‘until I provided automotive stories’ no credentials. That said, and as was noted in the release, we fully expect resolution in accordance with strategies appropriate to these circumstances.”

Stokes may be right in his suspicions. Jack Baruth has just posted a TTAC piece (“How I Trained My Fair Lady“) about registering his girlfriend as a journalist and escorting her around the NAIAS on press day although she had no clips (other than those collected as a hairdresser) to document her status. Ironically, a plug for NAIAS 2011 is (or was) on at least one site where the Holbrooke piece appeared.