GM Pulls Ads From Los Angeles Times, Citing 'Factual Errors and Misrepresentations' in Articles

Snides Remarks;...and now you know why most new car reviews are good and only a few in the media are brave enough to bite the hand that feeds them...maybe this cancellation will mean that GM has some budget for us? Let me know what you think also, msnide@theautochannel.com

LOS ANGELES April 8, 2005; The AP reported that General Motors Corp. said Thursday it would stop advertising in the Los Angeles Times because of concerns over "factual errors and misrepresentations" in newspaper articles. The newspaper, owned by Tribune Co., will review coverage that prompted the complaints from the world's largest automaker, Times spokesman David Garcia said.

"We will look into any complaints GM has about inaccuracy or misrepresentation and will make any appropriate corrections," Garcia said in the newspaper.

GM officials did not specify which articles the company found offensive. Ryndee Carney, a GM spokeswoman told The New York Times: "It involves news reporting, it involves opinion."

Messages left after business hours Thursday with representatives for GM and the Times were not immediately returned.

On Wednesday, the newspaper published a column by auto critic Dan Neil, who called for the "impeachment" of two executives, and charged the company "utterly missed the boat on hybrid gas-electric technology" while speeding up production of sport utility vehicles.

Neither GM nor the newspaper, which has a daily circulation of 900,000, would say how much the automaker spends on its Times ads.

GM did not say for how long it intended to keep its ads out of