Microsoft (MSFT) and The Walt Disney Company (DIS) finished No. 1 and 2 for the fourth straight quarter for having the best corporate reputations as measured by the Delahaye Index.
The measurements involve the top TV and print outlets in the U.S. They take into 
account the variety of stories and what is said about a company on a quarterly basis. The financial performance of a company is an important part of the mix.
The way things are measured aren't as simple as one would think. For example, Microsoft and Wal-Mart (WMT) (No.5 on the list) get a lot of negative coverage.
Matt Merlin, research director for Delahaye says: "[Microsoft and Wal-Mart] are both good examples of a kind of phenomenon in the index where, even though there is a certain percentage of constant negative coverage, they are seen as bellwethers of their industry, if there is any kind of story on retail, Wal-Mart is going to get mentioned. More so, as Wal-Mart is perceived as a bellwether of the economy as a whole."
There are so many types of stories about any given one company that it all is balanced out. Another example with Wal-Mart would be their introduction of $4 drugs for sale. That gave them a lot of positive publicity that balances off other negative stories. The same is true as you go from company to company.
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