More context in real estate stories needed

Miami Herald ombudsman Edward Schumacher-Matos argues Sunday for more context in the paper’s coverage of the Florida and national real estate market.

Schumacher-Matos wrote, “I have reviewed The Miami Herald’s real-estate coverage over the past three months and talked with opposing experts, including realtors. It is hard to separate the coverage from the truth about the market. What I found was that many of the paper’s real-estate stories have been excellent and fair, citing competing views. Realtors, understandably, are sensitive about negative articles, but there is no denying that there is a problem.

“My complaint actually takes The Miami Herald into a riskier direction, but one that I think better serves us as readers if done right. Herald reporters and editors have been too scrupulous, in that they have been too timid. They have done the timely major stories and done them well, but they have not followed up with enough analysis or perspective of their own.

“We need to better understand where the value of our homes is heading tomorrow — as opposed to what it is today — and how we might influence that. No coverage is more important to us than real estate, and The Miami Herald could be doing more than it is.”

Read more here.