“Journalists Do It…”

Chris Arnold of NPR did a segment about the Home Valuation Code of Conduct, a new rule enacted in May that requires arm’s length appraisals, and its impact on real estate sales.

The segment offers both sides of the story: Realtors who say the rule has slowed real estate sales, and others who say it’s needed because inflated values caused abuse.

Today’s Tip: Seek balance in your stories by reporting until you’ve talked to people on all sides of an issue — and sometimes there are more than two.

In business reporting, this is even more important because you don’t want your articles to come off like press releases. As one SPJ chapter’s T-shirt says, “Journalists do it with at least two sources.”