I don't think there is much of a desire by the MSM, be it Newpapers or Television, to increase sales or viewership.

If they were interested in profits they might have a look at what is working in the market - and its not CBC or NYT or CNN (or Canwest Global)

Instead of responding to the market, they simply double down on the rhetoric, spin and outright propaganda.

As such they have been exposed as run by and employing partisan ideologues who shill and spin for progressives and leftists, and will do so until they run their outlets and empires into the ground. (hello Apers!)

It's true that readership and viewership has declined, but it's still omnipresent and still affects the world we live in by continuing to try to shape acceptable opinions. BUT its ability to do this has greatly diminished as alternative media such as the Internet, Fox news and talk radio have increased in the number of eyeballs and ears they reach.

The legacy media’s oracular aura has faded and it seems that Toyota is now more trusted than the MSM. And that, as a well known hostess would say, “is a good thing.”

Rather Hello Aspers!

It has been by view that the MSM and state control politicians are powered by the fear that they try to instill in all of us.

It appears that the average Joe and Joan are getting tired of it and going elsewhere for their news and becoming less tolerant of fear mongering politicians. And the two are self reinforcing. Get some news with the fear mongering toned down and you start to listen to non statist politicians. Follow a non statist politician and you find less fear in the news media that report them.

So last night, the stand in host for Glenn Beck, Retired Judge Napolitano explained the Easter holiday and it's meaning. Starts Thursday, apparently, with the commemoration of Last Supper. On Global today, Good Friday, we are treated to instructions on how to fit a turban. Wrong tradition: Perhaps? Could you say inappropriate: Perhaps: or insensitive?
One network on the top of the ratings; the other declaring bankruptcy. Gosh!

With the constant MSM bias I'm thinking that any negative or fear mongering media attention produces the opposite desired effect,a good example would be the H1N1 virus.

" The sales spike by Toyota is a big "F*** "

Not enough asterisks in F*** to spell Fraud?

Governments have a habit of destroying those who are disseminating competing messages. I am sure they do not view the new media as a good thing. We should be prepared for restrictions. It will of course be made to look like it is being done for the public good.

Curious thing though... This is not very clear to me yet... Ford lobby power??

On a similar post here at SDA in the past, I provided a link to hundreds of personal statements by individuals who had a Ford catch fire and burn their garage, house or both and there were several deaths by Ford fire as well.

This seems far higher in number than the few run-away Toyotas were hear about... not all of those fatal.

Something fishy going on?

Forgot the link... but just Google Ford fire and see if you find the same?

Kevin,

They could use the CRTC for just that sledgehammer..

http://www.andrewcoyne.com/

Scroll down a bit...

I think the best explaination is the 0% financing that Toyota came out with in an effort to boost sales. . .

Reminds me of a great quote by Mark Twain:

"I you don't read newspapers you are uninformed.
If you do read newspapers you are MISinformed."

The MSM has lost its mojo. The useful idiots can't read and the peeps on the right are too smart to be conned by the propagandists. Unfortunately, the idiots still outnumber the right.

Ward "Instead of responding to the market, they simply double down on the rhetoric, spin and outright propaganda"

aka gone Tabloid.

It a good rule of thumb. That when the MSM says something on any subject. The opposite is likely to be true.

Related to the MSMs declining ability to crisis monger on Toyota was something I read on Fox yesterday that stated what a shame it was that 71 million doses of H1N1 flu virus inoculations were going to be trashed because Americans said NO to the idea that there was an epidemic.

People may not be better informed but they aren't as easily cowed anymore either.

For those pooh-poohing toyota's sales I would remind you that when Audi had similar bad news (proven fraud on the MSMs part BTW) it essentially disappeared from the market for almost a decade.

While none of what Toyota offers appeals to me it is testament to the largely well deserved reputation of top-shelf quality that keeps the sales going despite the safety hiccup.