HH - Some interesting historical examples. However, I don't think that the Arrow or the TSR.2 were targeted by journos so much as by politicians. Mary Goldring at the Eknockemist might have taken a swing at the TSR.2 now and again but she was mainly (and rightly) concerned about Concorde.
TSR.2 was a lovely aircraft in many ways, too, but from the best accounts I have read, it was going to be murder to develop, build and maintain. See TSR2 with Hindsight here:
RAF Historical Society Journals | Collections | Research | RAF Museum
As for the F-104G, it was rather unfairly pilloried. Not because it didn't crash a lot, but because there were other aircraft as bad or worse. However, because of the jolly old Official Secrets Act, nobody knew that.