I read something online the other day that said the way to avoid negative crap in an agent's life is to stop reading the newspaper. The article went on to say that newspapers only report bad news to sell newspapers. It went so far as to repeat, and offered up as proof: "If it bleeds, it leads." Which was never said about newspapers in the first place -- that phrase is in reference to television news.
Are people really this naive?
Newspapers report the news. That's what a newspaper journalist does. A journalist is fair and objective. and does not take sides. There is no "point" to make. The days of hawking newspapers on the street are pretty much over, except for maybe rush hour traffic in Chicago. Most people these days subscribe to the newspaper, so publishers aren't going to sell more newspapers because of a headline.
This is what we need in this country, more people who don't read the news. Because if you're a real estate agent talking to clients, you can bet your clients are reading the news. If you want to come across an uninformed or ignorant, why, you can get all of your news from FOX-TV. Yeah, that's the ticket.
I've got news for ya. The way to avoid negative crap in your life is to step over it or go around it.
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Certified HAFA Specialist
My Sacramento Real Estate Listings
Elizabeth Weintraub is an author, home buying columnist for The New York Times-owned About.com, a Land Park resident, and a Land Park real estate agent who specializes in older, classic homes in Land Park, Curtis Park, Midtown and East Sacramento. Weintraub is also a Sacramento Short Sale agent who lists and successfully sells short sales throughout the four-county Sacramento area. Call Elizabeth Weintraub at 916.233.6759. Put 35 years of real estate experience to work for you. Broker-Associate at Lyon Real Estate. DRE License # 00697006.
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I agree 100%, the media loves the bad.... NAR just posted that the US will see a 1-2% appreciation next year. We would love to see that. I would just like a flat line
Good thoughts Elizabeth, you can't educate a client or consumer if you don't know some of what they hear or read. It's a good life.
Avoiding the news is certainly not the answer. But maintaining an open mind and verifying the news is absolutely good sense.
I generally get my "news" from the internet or papers. I don't like the news programs for the very reason you described.
I agree. Thankfully, our local newspaper has gotten a new editor who stays in the middle. Before, when the paper had a very onesided point of view, it was diffiuclt to read. Maybe many other areas have that problem too.... but you have to stay up to date on what is happening or you are flying blind.
I agree that stepping past bad news is essential. The real issue with the media is that they, in fact, don't report the facts without bias. Our own local paper has repeatedly published erroneous reports of average and median selling prices by including or excluding things they see fit to continue their bias that the markets are bad.
There seems to be some evidence that reading the newspaper will help keep one informed, but sometimes, as Ron White has said, you can't fix stupid.
Love your attitude, Elizabeth. I know I recognized that we need to support our written newspapers (as well as the online version). If we don't pay for the professional journalism, all that's left will be sensationalist journalism and headline news.
Elizabeth, I feel you have to read/listen to news from a variety of sources (newspapers/news from different perspectives and countries) in order to stay informed.
Burying your head in the sand is never the answer. Whether we agree with what's published or not, these are the articles our clients (some of them anyway) are reading and asking us about. A true professional (like you Elizabeth) is informed from numerous media sources and isn't afraid to shy away from a resource just because it's an uncomfortable topic.
The most knowlegable agents get their information from all sources, including the newspaper. My husband and I still subscribe to the daily paper and will probably do so forever. We believe that regardless of the internet, that local newspapers can still be the bedrock of solid, quality and local news.
We absolutely need to know what our clients are hearing, reading and seeing. I wouldn't go far as to say newspapers are objective. Having a degree in journalism, there is one simple truth in media of any form. None of it is without bias, no matter how slight. No person is truly objective.
Hi Elizabeth - There's bias everywhere, and it takes some effort to piece together an understanding of what is really going on with any given issue. The problem isn't the bias - as Chris Ann says, that's just the human condition. It's that we're no longer willing to make the effort to be well-informed, as opposed to being just informed.
The thing about the bias, Chris Ann, is a professional journalist is aware of the personal bias and therefore puts forth an exceptional effort to present the opposing viewpoint.
Elizabeth - a timely post as we head into the 2012 political year. As others have said here, I too believe you must get your information from a variety of sources in order to be well informed. What scares me as we move toward election year is that too few people seem willing to seek out more than one source for their news.
Hi Elozabeth, I am sorry, I disagree. I read 5-6 on line newspapers daily. I scan the local newspaper to find any local news I missed on-line. And I always skip the negative news which is the majority!
You must have read that via Fox News online, Elizabeth. It seems they try to provide the illusion they are the only "legitimate" news source. "Fair and Balanced" - Give me a break!
If it wasn't for the media, especially with much of the expose' reports they do, the evil forces of this country would have their way with us, and make mince meat out of us.
Great post Elizabeth....yeah, let's have some more uninformed, voting public that only responds to sensationalism! My husband has been involved in TV and print news for over 30 years years, and our circle of friends includes actual reporters that were trained in journalism and ascribe to the ethics you noted. Of course most of them, especially in TV, are not currently working as they have been replaced by someone younger and cuter who knows the low-down on the Kardashians.
We read several newspapers a day online, which I think is much more efficient and less wasteful....but I still miss the feel of the actual paper and the fun of reading together, commenting, and trading sections. We also frequently check-in on Fox "News" and some of the other crazy "news" because we believe it's important to know what's brewing in those little minds.
I am always encouraged when I read an article like your post and am able to remind myself that we're not alone!
Depends on the newspaper, there are good ones and bad ones. It also matters who your client it, we need to read what they read. If your client is baby boomer, then yes, read the paper. If you your client is under 35 then get quick hits on line.
I think everything in moderation and have to say when I am bombarded with negative input, I become that way myself. While I consider myself to be an intelligent and informed person, I do not let myself get lost in all the negativity that is in the news.
This blog is proof that you can lead a horse to water . . . but you can't make him spell.
Hi Marti -- Yes, we are not alone. That's why I wrote it. Because after reading what I read, I felt that if I didn't say something, I was endorsing it. I never want to be part of the problem when I can be part of the solution.
Hey Travis -- Because the papers we read online are so much different than the ones we hold in our hand!!
Most newspapers these days are just BAD. They recycle UPI/AP/Blogged stories. Actual journalism and investigative reporting seems to be a lost art. When you see grammatical and factual errors, plus a writer grinding a specific political axe, then you know the story is worthless or is an op-ed piece at best. I spend most of my time rebutting what a newspaper says since it's often just not accurate.
Elizabeth
What was that song again that says "accentuate the positive"....
Because real estate is local, then we should focus on information that our buyers and sellers should know about at the local level by providing statistics regarding the movement in our local markets, and put them in perspective. More foreclosures mean more opportunities for buyers to get good deals.
I am glad to hear someone else say that it is important to read the news and be informed. So many real estate gurus say not to read the news, to stay positive and ignore reality. It is important, and our duty as good citizens, to be informed about the affairs of the world. Great post.
Most people get their news in 30 second sound bites, so its understandable that the majority of people are misinformed, yet with few exceptions every news announcer has their bias and by their tone of voice or body language usually indicates which way they are leaning, left or right. The newspaper in paper form is going away eventually as we evolve.
I wrote a blog post about avoiding the negativity in the news and remaining positive. It came from my years of living in a war zone. It was the same news, day in and day out, but yet nothing local. I took a stand then, and I stand behind the decision today. I have always stayed away from topics such as Politics, Sex and Religion - is there anything else that I'm missing in the news? Oh yes, the financial news. It is like global gossip; only the negative and nasty gets passed on!
Like comment #24 says, focus on the LOCAL activity, especially for real estate. And by the way, I am Canadian so my personal Real Estate business is not affected by your negative news stories. (other than the increasing numbers of Buyers crossing the border to escape the chaos south of us) My pipeline is full and business is booming. 2011 has been a great year and I'm excited about 2012. Many of the doom-sayers in my office can't say the same. They believe what they read in the papers.
There will always be people who are news driven and I'm happy to say, there will always be people like me, who fully understand that intelligence is not based merely on current events. We live and thrive in our own communities and know that if disaster strikes, there will be a news junkie only ready, willing and able to pass it on. We hope for the best and plan for the worst.
I totally agree with the assertion that reading is imperative to the success of agents. In fact, I read for a full hour every morning before I leave for the office - the trades, WSJ, Crains, Forbes, local blogs, AR, etc. However, there are certainly papers that are a waste of time, and I'm not just referring to the tabloids. The papers that focus on light, airy business/real estate news are a waste of time if you're actually reading it because you work in an idustry affected by economic news. Stick to those that cater to professionals like some of the ones I mentioned above.
I still get the newspaper, it's my first read of the day. How else to learn what is going on in MY neighborhood?
I agree with you. As much as I believe that all news is biased based on the bias of the publishing paper, it is still important to read as much as possible because our clients do. I read as much as I can so I am aware of what my clients and potential clients are reading and hearing from the media. This gives me the opportunity to educate them about the truth in what they are trying to accomplish. Unfortunately this is often different than what the various media outlets publish.
Good post. Knowing the bad educates you to talk about the good. Or it might even give you an educated opinion. If you don't know the bad you can't educate your client.
I do read the paper. And I think all the news networks have their bias - however Fox is my favorite.
I agree that local print news is crucial to understanding your community but to say it is without bias is hopeful at best. A close friend and recent journalism master's graduate shared with me how disappointed she was with how the editing crew of her well-known local paper would butcher a story until it was nearly unrecognizable as the truth she initially wrote. Whether it be intentional or not, news is distorted the minute it's relayed - the nature of communication, I suppose.
We have to know what the media is telling out clients!
I love to start my day with the BBC Front Page on line and after that move over to other national news sources and then in the car catch NPR. At night I take time with Inman and Realty Times and find that any newspaper I pick up is two days behind the times in international news and a full day behind national events.
If people would report the news we could handle the truth. The sad part is the news has been left leaning for several decades and most people know this. Add to that the strict bias of CNN, MSNBC, ABC, NBC, CBS. and 50/50 FOX, and you are stuck with not news but opinion from the producer. Newspapers are worse. But hey we live in America, save time just go to Drudge...
It's definitely important to stay current as an agent, especially on local news
I rarely "read" a newspaper, but get my updates online and from numerous RSS feeds. It is amazing the types of stories that are headlined on one site and barely mentioned on another. Variety makes for a more knowledgeable consumer!