PressEthic

Hey! Guess who bought Julia Roberts’s apartment in New York? Who cares? Maybe some people do. After all, the celebrity news business is pretty lucrative. Lots of people want to know what Britney named her son, and who Heath is dating right now, and what Jude ate for dinner last night. I’m not one of those people. I’m sure that there are many people who are interested to know that Julia Roberts sold her apartment in New York. But who would have thought that the Times would be the publication to go to in order to find that out?

When I read the real estate section of the Times, I expect to find articles about housing, affordable or otherwise. I expect to find articles about mortgage rates, and interest rates, and whether rents are going to become more affordable in Manhattan or not. I even expect to find articles like the one I read a month ago about a young lady who moved to Manhattan and had trouble finding a place to live. Maybe it sounds stuck up, but that’s what I expect from the Times. What I don’t expect is an article about Julia Roberts. It makes no difference to me who bought her 3000 square foot apartment. Most people couldn’t afford that kind of housing anyway. It doesn’t help me figure out a new housing situation when my lease runs out.

The media has to cater to everyone’s tastes. That’s why there are so many different kinds of publications. But maybe the Times should let the Post’s page 6, or People Magazine handle the celebrity tidbits.