Hot in the news: the Toyota recall. I’ve heard talk of accelerator pedals more in the past month than rest of my life collaborated. This is more than coincidence. This is the effect of the world’s largest automaker recalling a reported 8 million vehicles to date.

As usual, the media has blown things out of proportion. The hypochondriasis that society seems to posses en masse is only worsening an already sticky situation (pun intended). It is implied through reports and quotes collected from various authority figures that if you own any of the recalled vehicles, you are in danger. To the contrary, Toyota states that unless you’ve been experiencing the defined problems in your vehicle, your vehicle is safe to drive.

Toyota takes a particularly large blow from this complication as it’s success has, up until the present, been based on product reliability, quality, and resale value. All of these commercial attributes have been seemingly tainted by the recalls.

The public uncertainty and vulnerability to persuasion is being exploited by some to push the ever present buy American policy. To the numerous misguided, this gives a bad reputation to the Japanese auto industry as a whole. Coupled with the recent Honda recalls due to airbag malfunction, this argument appears convincing.

The media continues to worsen business woes by simply reporting on them, exemplified in the economic downturn. This influence will only become stronger as the internet, and through it media penetration, advances.