As a Spokesperson Trainer, it is not uncommon for me to say at least three times during my workshop that “Repetition is Recognition.” That is if you say something, once, twice and a third time, people will believe it. Don’t believe me? Consider some of the ridiculous stories reported as fact by the traditional media these days – (have one? See, repetition is recognition).
That’s why the results reported in a recent news release from a recent RBC Consumer Outlook Index should not be a surprise. Of course consumers expect home sale prices to decline, and say that the construction and home builder sector is weaker than a year ago — they have been told this by numerous media outlets for months and months and months. I don’t question the accuracy of the RBC Index or the folks who conduct the survey. What I do question is the level of knowledge those surveyed have about home prices, real estate markets, and the construction and home builder industries, and the relative value of those opinions based on that knowledge versus the actual impact survey results and other news releases have the American psyche?
I respect the traditional media and its role in our democracy. We need the media. What we do not need is the traditional media to forget its role, its roots, and its responsibilities to the citizens it serves. So, my hope is that traditional media — TV, radio and print – puts an end to its relentless attempts to be online-like, or Twitter-light or Facebook-friendly and to hold your collective selves accountable for what you report — and to STOP REPEATING OVER AND OVER AND OVER “stories” without conducting reasonable journalistic due diligence.
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