Elon Musk Takes Jibe At Media Again: 'They're Hesitant To Bite the Hand That Feeds Them'

Tesla, Inc. TSLA CEO Elon Musk has had run-ins with traditional media companies on multiple occasions in the past. On Monday, he took to Twitter to express his discontent with the industry once again. 

What Happened: Tesla board member Hiro Mizuno, a former chief investment officer of Japan's sovereign fund, quote tweeted a Wall Street Journal article about automakers with the highest number of recalls this year. 

Listing Tesla as the company with the second-highest number of recalls so far in 2022, behind Ford Motor Co F — WSJ used an image of a Tesla vehicle to go along with the story. 

Mizuno said journalists should be conscious about their choice of photos in their articles. 

"A photo often talks more than words," he tweeted. 

Related Link:  Here's The Latest On Tesla's Giga Shanghai Production Update

Musk replied to Mizuno, saying the media may not be willing to sacrifice dollars by taking an antagonistic stance against companies that put out advertisements. 

"Tesla doesn't advertise, the others do. They are … hesitant to bite the hand that feeds them," Musk said.

Tesla doesn't advertise, the others do. They are … hesitant to bite the hand that feeds them.

— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) May 31, 2022

Why It's Important: Musk is a self-proclaimed advocate of free speech, which prompted his takeover of social-media platform Twitter, Inc. TWTR. In the past, Musk blamed traditional media outlets for being cynical, adhering to groupthink, and thus, not providing scope for dissent. 

Back in 2018, Musk threatened to create a site where the public could rate the "core truth" of any article and track the credibility score of journalists, media, and publications. 

Price Action: Tesla stock closed Friday's session 7.33% higher at $759.63, according to Benzinga Pro data.