What me? Too negative?

Herb Greenberg of Marketwatch writes Monday about being called too negative in his coverage of the economy and the markets.

Greenberg wrote, “As Barry writes in his own blog, to refute the Times piece and Paul’s ill-timed pontification: Per the IRS, I’m a reporter, which by its very nature means I’m skeptical. I have a special focus on the over-hyped and (if the hype has done its magic) over-valued companies.

“I don’t make market calls or offer investment advice. But via the media world, I’ve also morphed, for better or for worse (depending on your perspective), into somewhat of a financial commentator. I figure my opinions, based on more than 30 years of writing about this stuff, is as valid as others who were formally schooled in economics and the stock market. (And who, by the way, seem to get it wrong as much as they get it right.)

“What’s viewed as ‘too negative,’ sadly, is really just trying to point out to investors that there’s another side to the story, which is why people might be on the other side of their trades. Tell people the stock market will be going up, even if the logic is flawed, and they think you’re a hero; suggest it might be going down, and they consider you part of some dark alley conspiracy.”

Read more here.