Assistant Managing Editor Steve Kerch of Marketwatch.com, that Dow Jones business site, took media outlets to task for what he called overhype of coverage, citing the Toyota recall reporting and related accidents as an example.

“This ... has become the American Way, ever since O.J. meandered down a California freeway in his Ford Bronco. The cable networks now salivate over any sort of highway chase or high-speed thriller, hoping they have the next classic road drama -- and, though they won't admit it, hoping even harder it is the next road disaster -- live and in person,” he wrote, later adding, "...we're still forced to endure the media hype..."