The study is aimed at investigating the way in which the media 'manufactures consent'; and analyses media reporting on motor sector collective bargaining in the financial media. The study deals with contextual issues such as media and trade unionism in South Africa, including National Union of Metalworkers of South Africa's (NUMSA) collective bargaining strategies and how it negotiates in the motor sector with Motor Industry Bargaining Council (MIBCO) and Fuel Retail Association (FRA). The views of these employer and industry organisations are also captured.