When news media, any news media, get some significant factual element of a story wrong there are often multiple layers of potential responsibility. Among them are a given news source’s journalist(s)/editor(s) or management. If artificial intelligence (AI) is being used by a media source, and the AI fails to catch an error, that too is a problem. In some cases, public officials or so-called experts quoted in a story may share some blame for errors, because they ought to care enough to contact the media outlet post-publication that interviewed them as an added check for accuracy. But there is an evidence-based argument to be made that somewhere in the chain of responsibility for reporting about the manufactured housing industry is the Manufactured Housing Institute (MHI) and MHI linked state associations. Who says? How about Tim Williams, president and CEO of Berkshire Hathaway (BRK) owned 21st Mortgage Corporation, a sister brand to Clayton Homes and Vanderbilt Mortgage and Finance, who still sits on the MHI board of directors and is a past MHI chairman of the board. Williams previously said this in a statement to MHProNews: “There are good arguments to be made that we [i.e.: MHI, the industry, etc.] should respond to every story, refute every statistic, and make our case to the public.” Quite so. Additionally, MHI’s outside attorney David Goch asserted that they monitor reports to make sure that MHI isn’t “disparaged.” That implies that MHI and people associated with MHI are checking manufactured housing industry related reports for accuracy. The spark for the media-association nexus aspects of this facts-evidence-analysis (FEA) report is an article and video that MHProNews contacted a regional media operation about a factual error about the manufactured home industry. While there are arguably several weaknesses to that media outlet’s report, the simple starting point is to get that source to acknowledge and correct a factual claim that is prominently featured on camera and in their published report as well. It must be stressed that as with any profession, there are good, mediocre or poor practitioners of the science and art of journalism. Even a good operation may have a problematic report. Mistakes happen, but what occurs after the report is published and the error is brought to the attention of the reporter/editors/management, that is what often begins a revealing process. Recall that when MHProNews contacted a wing of the National Association of Home Builders (NAHB) earlier this year about an error in a report on a Sunday morning, in less than an hour a vice-president for NAHB responded, assuring us that double check would occur the next day. It did, the NAHB made the correction and acknowledged this writer as the spark for their correction. That NAHB correction is a recent example of professionalism. Recall that something similar occurred when MHProNews contacted the National Association of Realtors (NAR) report by Scholastica “Gay” Cororaton who made multiple corrections in terminology and an errant date published report in the Journal for Real Estate Studies. When one wonders why manufactured housing production is operating in the 21st century at about 29 percent of its average production from 1995-2000, media, corporate, association, nonprofits that may include universities or other organizations, and governmental influences are among the factors that should be considered.
| Table 1 | Sources: MHARR, IBTS, Merchandiser, MHI | |
| Manufactured Home Production | National Totals | Average for years shown |
| 1995-2000 | 2,033,545 | 338,924 |
| 2001-2025 | 2,436,452 | 97,458 |
I understand the argument that we must work harder to tell our story and emphasize the advantages of manufactured homes. We have a good product and a good story to tell. …MHI President/CEO Dick Jennison is in the process of hiring a seasoned media relations professional.
2) Over a decade has come and gone since Williams made those and related remarks. While there are other examples that have emerged since then, including a recent series of whistleblower tips from within the MHI orbit to MHProNews about an aborted attempt to better inform and educate the public about manufactured housing, such statements stand as silent witnesses to why manufactured housing continues to struggle in a so-called information age. When one of the sources of information – trade associations – fail to do their part properly, why should there be surprise when a media outlet gets a story wrong?
2) The following inquiry was made to Google’s artificial intelligence powered overview (GAIO) by MHProNews.
What is the premise of the award winning Shadows of Liberty? Has there been any similar updates that examine how news media actually operates in the U.S.A. vs. the mere claims of corporate media? If so, what are they or those studies?
- Corporate Control & Censorship: The film reveals that a handful of powerful global conglomerates control most of the U.S. media, turning public expression into a private profit zone.
- Broken Media System: It features interviews with journalists, activists, and academics who detail how controversial news reports are suppressed or “muted” by corporate interests to protect advertisers or commercial partners.
- 14 Vignettes: The documentary uses specific cases—such as the 1996 TWA 800 air disaster, Nike sweatshops, and the Iraq War—to illustrate how major outlets (like CBS, CNN, and Fox News) failed to report the truth.
- Journalistic Cost: It examines how journalists who pursue hard truths are often censored, lose their jobs, or have their reputations ruined, citing the case of investigative journalist Gary Webb.
Democracy Now! +4
- “Stripped for Parts: American Journalism on the Brink” (2025): This PBS documentary investigates how hedge funds, specifically Alden Global Capital, are purchasing local newspapers across America, gutting them, and leading to journalist rebellions.
- “Kill the Messenger” (2014): A film (based on a true story) that portrays how the national press and government collaborated to discredit journalist Gary Webb, highlighting the risks of reporting against corporate/government interests.
- “Orwell Rolls in His Grave” (2003/2012): Examines the structural flaws in the U.S. media, arguing that the media acts as a propaganda mechanism that manipulates the public into believing they are informed.
- “The Social Dilemma” (2020): While focused on social media, it exposes how tech algorithms prioritize engagement over truth for corporate profit, similar to the “infotainment” critique in Shadows of Liberty.
- Academics & Reports: Robert W. McChesney and John Nichols (featured in Shadows of Liberty) continued their research in works like People Get Ready: The Fight Against a Jobless Economy and a Citizenless Democracy (2016), highlighting how media consolidation and digital monopolies endanger public life.
- The Propaganda Model Updates: Noam Chomsky and Edward S. Herman’s “Propaganda Model” (from Manufacturing Consent) continues to be applied to modern corporate media by researchers, analyzing how ownership, advertising, and reliance on government sources filter information.
CrimeReads +48
These works argue that mainstream news frequently functions more as entertainment and commercial advertisement than as a service for a democratic society.
Bullfrog CommunitiesMHProNews: There are good arguments to be made that we [i.e.: MHI, the industry, etc.] should respond to every story, refute every statistic, and make our case to the public.”
- Combating Negative Narratives: The industry faces negative perceptions regarding appreciation and quality, which impacts consumer demand and local zoning decisions.
- Addressing Declining Production: Despite a national affordable housing crisis, HUD Code manufactured housing production has faced, at times, significant declines. MHProNews argues this requires a stronger, more proactive response to regulatory and market challenges.
- Fact-Checking “Paltering” and Omission:MHProNews contends that industry leaders sometimes engage in “paltering” (using true statements to mislead) or omit key information (e.g., about “enhanced preemption” or the “Duty to Serve” (DTS) rules).
- Accountability of Representative Bodies:MHProNews argues that MHI should be more aggressive in legal and lobbying efforts to address “bottlenecks” like zoning discrimination, rather than allowing negative stories or restrictive regulations to stand.
Manufactured Housing Association for Regulatory Reform +5
- MHI’s Perspective: MHI has stated it is engaged in advocacy and “making progress,” engaging in state-level efforts to fight rent control and supporting federal efforts to increase manufactured housing placement.
- Alternative Viewpoint: Some industry perspectives suggest that not every negative story requires a direct response, and that a long-term, ethical, educational methodology is more effective than engaging in a “Rope-A-Dope” battle with critics.
- The “MHProNews” Stance:MHProNews asserts that its own “Evidence-Based Action” reporting is necessary to hold the industry, particularly large, publicly traded companies, accountable for what it calls “industry shrinkage in favor of consolidation”.
Manufactured Housing Institute +4
