Tesla doesn’t advertise, which makes the company a prime target for misrepresentation by news media. Point in case – today’s histrionic AP headline about a recall.
Today’s negative Tesla article was written by Tom Krisher in Michigan who has covered the automotive industry for 17 years. Tom’s headline wouldn’t be as eye-catching if it included that the ‘recall’ was just a software update. And Tom’s AP story spread like wildfire.
Is the term ‘Recall’ misleading?
When readers think of the term ‘recall’ in the automotive world, especially one worthy of garnering headlines like this, they think of the billion-dollar Toyota recall in 2009 where cars had an issue that could cause them to accelerate. Or the Tylenol recall in the early 80’s. And who could forget the Samsun Galaxy Note 7 which caught fire at random? This misleading headline is made worse because the trust is hidden in the byline – and news directors know this. The goal is to get clicks and views – not inform.
Market Manipulation?
Calling out a software update as if it were a devastating recall is misleading at best, and market manipulation at worst. Remember when Kramer told us about how he used to manipulate stock prices through news reports? Apparently, the “SEC” doesn’t understand how this works…
So for all you Tesla owners out there. Sleep tight. Your car will be ‘recalled’ overnight soon enough.
This is why people don’t trust news anymore.
