Elon Musk believes that the media too often speaks badly of Tesla compared to its competitors, arguing that advertising plays a role in the processing of information.
Is Tesla a privileged target of the media? In any case, this is the opinion of Elon Musk, who complained about it on Twitter after criticizing an article by Guardian relaying the conclusions of a qualified video “scam” by the contractor. According to this, the automaker’s autonomous driving system would be faulty, failing for example to detect a child on the road.
In response to a comment from an Internet user, who believes that Tesla receives more “bad press and negativity” than other brands, Elon Musk says the reason is, in his view, to be found on the side of advertising budgets. “Tesla doesn’t advertise and other automakers do”he posted on the social network.
Would Tesla ads really silence the press?
In a video, Elon Musk indicates that Tesla “maybe should advertise” because “mainstream media does not publish negative articles about automakers”, who are, according to him, one, if not the biggest investor in advertising in the press. He claims that if a negative story about General Motors appears in a publication alongside a General Motors ad, the manufacturer could pressure it and threaten to stop buying ad space in that newspaper.
He goes even further by assuring that manufacturers who advertise do not even have to come to that, because there would be a “tacit understanding” between the actors, implying that the editorial staff would self-censor. Elon Musk’s argument can be heard, but we remember that other brands are not spared scandals either, advertising or not. We remember in particular the Dieselgate affair which undermined the reputation of Volkswagen.
In addition, if Tesla attracts so much attention, other causes can be put forward, such as the divisive personality of its leader, his interest in the public, and his advance on certain technological aspects such as autonomous driving or batteries.
