Last week, a Toronto Star cartoon had a sign up saying "Cheap Crappy Toys" above what appeared to be some "Tickle Me Elmo" dolls.

"Made in China?" asked a woman. "Worse. Made in Detroit," responded a man (see it here).

That got the ire of some in the automotive sector.

From The Globe and Mail:

The Ontario Court of Appeal yesterday overturned a libel conviction against the Toronto Star in connection with an investigative article that explored a dispute between a developer and neighbourhood activists in Ontario's cottage country.

The court ordered a new trial, citing a succession of errors the trial judge made while instructing a jury. The mistakes included an erroneous explanation of a new defence - "responsible journalism" - which a newspaper can employ when it publishes an allegedly defamatory article on a matter of public interest.

A jury had awarded Peter Grant $400,000 in general damages, $25,000 in aggravated damages and $1-million in punitive damages.

Former business reporter turned academic Chris Roush argues the U.S. business media did try to get the public's attention about building problems in the financial system. But no one listened.

A very arresting photograph:

You can read the Guardian story about it here.

To a certain extent, that headline is gallows humour, but columnist Richard Siklos sums up some of the bad news coming out of the United States for media companies operating there.