The Los Angeles Times Wants to Know What Your Favorite Car Is

Today, while working in “Today’s Headlines,” I noticed something peculiar at the Times website.  Instead of just giving me a list of headlines and links, the Paper of Record had me look at a series of pictures and select which ones represented my ideal vacation, what stage of life I was in, and favorite activity.  The purpose of this series, was to help determine my “ideal headlines,” consider it a sort of “my yahoo” page to help me navigate the Times.

At the end, presumably to help their advertising department, they asked me to pick my favorite travel website, bank, news source, communications company and non-profit.  Of course, they also asked me what my favorite car company was.  As you would expect, I selected my favorite bike.  It was a tough call between “Trek” and “Metro” in the “type another” section, but that’s why they pay me the big bucks.

I’m sure I’ll get a handful of comments telling me to “lighten up,” or something of the sort; I’m not pointing this out to malign the Times or make a cheap shot.  This is just a visual reminder of who it is that funds the mainstream media in America.