PressEthic

An article caught my attention on the front page of the New York Times today not because it was particularly interesting, but because it was just the opposite. Titled "Across Nation, Housing Costs Rise as Burden," it jumped out because of an almost lack of "newsworthyness." It details how housing prices are rising faster than incomes, and the disproportionate numbers are not limited to urban areas on the two coasts but that

Many of the biggest jumps in the percentage of people paying a burdensome amount of their income for housing occurred in the Midwest and in suburbs nationwide, making it clear that the housing squeeze has reached deep into the middle class.

This article was prompted by the release of Census Bureau data, which "vividly illustrate the impact, often distributed unevenly, of the crushing combination of escalating real estate prices and largely stagnant incomes." However, other than the actual data, the article had little to add to the discussion (and, in fact, while the article lead from the front page, the rest of the story was buried in section B5).

The booming housing market that the country experienced several years ago is long gone, which has been a topic of concern in the last few months, as home-owners find it increasingly difficult to sell their homes and watch as adjustable mortgage rates increase. However, while this issue is certainly alarming to many people, it's curious that it appeared on the front page of the New York Times, particularly when it was Middle America (and not Manhattan) that experienced some of the biggest jumps.

Last month, the Washington Post noted that the economy was the number one issue on voters' minds, calling the "Mortgage Moms" the crucial swing voters in November's election.

Polls show that swing voters -- the category that candidates most want to attract -- are unhappier than the rest of the population about their economic circumstances. According to a recent survey by Bloomberg News and the Los Angeles Times, six in 10 self- described independents said the economy was doing badly, and seven in 10 said the country was on the wrong track.

These are powerful numbers that tend to favor the party that is not in power (Democrats, in this case). I can't help but wonder if the New York Times (often accused of liberal bias) put this story on the front page to further galvanize liberal readers, rather than because it was a particularly newsworthy story.