Conflict of Interest

Despite my previous rants, Newspapers are still a source that people go to in order to receive information about everything - finance, style, sports, world events and etc.  These newspapers are trusted my millions which is why they continue to stay in business.  However, like news on tv, if it bleeds, it leads.  A common motif in newspapers across the country is - that's right...you guessed it: the woes of the housing and mortgage industries.  Countless headlines continue to grab the eyes and minds of readers and suck them into believing that we're going into a recession and that housing is the worst since the depression.  But then if you turn a few pages, you'll see ads for condos for sale or new developments offering great incentives for first-time homebuyers and etc.  

Hmm...

Does it ever cross your mind that newspapers are really evil mediums?  Allow me to explain.  Even though newspapers are not as popular to advertise as they once were for condo developers or any real estate developer for that matter, these publications still are able to charge exhorbitant prices for a full page, full color.  When I say exhorbitant, I mean, $46,000 for a full page full color ad in the Sunday Real Estate section.  This is obviously for a leading newspaper but this is 1 ad for 1 day of the year.  This is not even trackable. 

How do editors sleep at night knowing they are making a killing from these real estate ads and then on the flip side endorse articles that state the end is no where in sight for the real estate market.  Conflict of interest?  Uh...yes!  Many newspapers are now losing real estate advertising clients because they are always writing about how bad the market is.  If you were a smart editor/newspaper owner, you would think it would dawn on your not to hurt your main revenue streams. 




Comments

Right, "it is not even

Right, "it is not even trackable" I am still debating if I would agree with your term that newspapers are 'evil' From what I have witnessed the past past four years. I could sum up their strategy (the main stream media) as: Give to the people what they want. Regardless of the content. The only thing that I might not agree with you is what they are currently telling people. They are actually right this time about the real estate market. The numbers prove it. But my fear is they were right via coincidence not because of research and the willingness to help the people. I say this because at the peak of the market,and when it started to come down on July of 2005: http://renomarketblog.typepad.com//reno/2007/08/reno-sparks-m-2.html The mainstream media was not saying anything about it. Nothing. I will also conclude that when the market bounces back up. They will be late as well. Hence, they are a poor standard for people looking for help for their market knowledge.

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