In an attempt to shock its readers into buying newspapers, editors at The State Newspaper (Columbia, SC) fabricated a sensational headline. Wednesday’s readers saw “Home sales plunge” stretched across the front page above the fold. (If you’d like to read the article, click here.

However, immediately below the banner, the article explains, “sellers appear to be holding out for the asking price they want . . . prices rose close to 6 percent . . . for the year, however, the slide pushed Columbia’s market slightly below sales in 2006.”

If that isn’t enough to prove sensationalism, another article titled “Housing stable in Columbia area“ appeared in the paper on THE SAME DAY!

Its time for our news media to stop creating stories where there are none. Its time to stop running alarmist headlines that ’shock and awe’ readers but are not supported by facts. We all know the facts behind this so-called “Housing Slump.” After years of booming sales, markets across the country are correcting. Each local market is correcting in its own way. The South Carolina Association of Realtors is developing a response to this media nonsense, and you can be sure that we will share it with you here.

Thanks to the South Carolina Association of Realtors for their heads-up email, which was the impetus behind this blog entry.