Anyone who has read the Hickory Hound should know that it is a forum for discussion and airing out differences. While I value most of Thom’s reporting, especially on City meetings, this blog on the Hickory Daily Record misreporting the unemployment numbers seems off the mark. First, Thom and I have had discussions about the angry tone of some of the posts. He is a proponent of “focused anger” and I tend to follow the edict to speak the truth in love. One can express the facts and opinions factually and very candidly and still maintain a tone of civility that gets breached too often. Maybe I’m just getting nostalgic for the old time genteel Southern culture that is getting as rare as Necco candies.
More to the point, Thom is actually mixing two separate criticisms, one about the economic numbers which were the focus of the article, the second is about the reporting of the Hickory Daily Record generally. First, I’ll address the specific article. The data were released on Friday, the article was published on Saturday. This was, in fact, the first date it could be published so I’m not sure why it should have been delayed. The Charlotte Observer published a similar story on Saturday as well. I’m not sure I can see a conspiracy here. If the story had been delayed before publishing, that could have been a cause for criticism as well. The economy has been THE story as Thom pointed out but the decision to put it on page three may be a decision based on the HDR’s perception of what stories on the front page would sell the most newspapers. I don’t know if the average reader would find this article more newsworthy than the other articles, but even if they did I don’t see the connection about the article and the political fortunes of local leaders.
Many people, in fact, think that the national scene now is much more important that local issues. In either event, it seems trivial to me. Unless, it can be proven that the statistics are incorrect or that information was withheld to benefit local leaders, I don’t agree that this article was a misrepresentation and I don’t see the linkage to Thom’s more general criticism of the HDR’s reporting.
I find more common ground in the criticisms of the HDR’s reporting in general. Newspapers are struggling to survive today and the readership trends don’t bode well for any of them. Sadly, I don’t think our local paper stands above the crowd. My opinion is that they will only survive if they can provide more content and context. The HDR does need to do more to get to the real meat of stories and provide the reader with more background and a clearer picture of the story and not just the data. Most people in Hickory are blind as to how things really get done and there is a substantial subtext that is fodder for conversations by connected people in the loop of things that our average citizen is not aware of. We do need real reporting and digging below the surface. Just printing minutes of meetings and some puff pieces doesn’t live up to the vital role a free press in a democracy like ours needs and deserves. Our newspaper, like it or not, is an important link in the dialogue our society needs to be a healthy, self governing country.
The bottom line for me: the Record needs to step up in the quality of their reporting and Thom needs some relaxation therapy.
|
| Join To Get Blog Update Notices |
| Visit the Hickory Hound Group |
Sunday, April 26, 2009
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
4 comments:
Harry I totally appreciate what you are saying here and realize that my posting might be considered antagonistic.
I still think the headline was misreported, because it did not meet the criteria of the important nature of these numbers. "Unemployment Down in the Area" may have met a certain criteria, but it certainly was a half truth.
Statistics show that unemployment was down .2% in the 4 county area, but it was up 3 times that (.6%) in this county. If it is going to be drywall coverage, then why not headline it "Unemployment 15.4% in the Metro and 15.6% in Catawba County" or something along those lines. Wouldn't that have been more representative?
What was the aim of the headline that was written, You know as I do that there is a purpose served by the words chosen. We all do that. Was this meant to comfort their readership?
Not that this is on topic of this article, but it is known to many of us that the reported unemployment numbers don't take into effect all of those unemployed.
Would anyone like to debate me on the issue of reported unemployment numbers? I would be happy to. The Bureau of Labor Statistics has the numbers, no they aren't broken down yet by metro area, but they are broken down by Fed and State with a lag factor.
Here is the Federal number. The number that is reported in the HDR and other papers is called U-3. The actual number of displaced workers is reported as U-6. Here is the link (Alternative measures of labor underutilization).
In the United States, U-3 unemployment for March was 8.5%. U-6 unemployment was reported as 15.6%. Last year's average unemployment rate in North Carolina was (Alternative Measures of Labor Underutilization for States) U-3 = 6.4% and U-6 = 11.3%
The United States number of displaced workers is actually 83% higher than what was reported and that NC average for last year is 76.5% higher than what was reported (the U-3 average for 2008).
So extrapolate that out. Let's take a low estimate of 75% over that number that the "local area fell to of 15.4%." if the U-3 number is 15.4%, then the extrapolated U-6 number for the Hickory Metro Area is 26.95%.
If you look at those numbers, do you see where I am coming from? Do I really seem like I am that far out there? Whose advice would you rather follow mine or the local head of the Employment Security Commission. Go Google what he has said and see who is closer.
When things start turning around I will be the first one to celebrate, but when our area is ranked 359 out of 372 metropolitan areas in the U.S. in employment statistics, it is not time to relax. It is time to figure out where we are going wrong and change it.
And yes this is just my point of view and everyone is entitled to theirs and it is my wish that people would come forward and express themselves, whether anonymous or not.
I have to agree with you both on this one. Harry has a point that the post could have had two sections or even been split into two posts to clarify the critique of the numbers and the HDR.
However, I find it hard to have any sympathy or mercy for the HDR, which seems to an institution committed to un-informing the public, feeding them dribble on petty theft, dog shows, and other nonsense.
Still, we can help each other--Harry's love message. I had the chance the other day and put someone to work in the yard. It wasn't cheap 'cause I ain't rich, but I had to help; I was compelled. And so we must all be compelled to help our neighbors and rebuke those neighbors(the HDR) who don't do their part.
I agree that the "official' numbers don't accurately reflect the real number of unemployed/underemployed people. Discouraged workers who no longer get unemployment checks and part time workers who really want full time work aren't counted. But this is a standard practise nationwide and not unique to the HDR. I also agree that the Charlotte Observer's article was much better than the HDR. Again, this is not unusual, the Observer daily does a better job than Hickory.
The issue is "misrepresentation". This is pretty much saying that they are lying. I would say that the article is shallow, not much journalistic effort went into it, it is written down to an elementary school level, and is typical of what we get with the HDR. But it's not a lie. The numbers are what the released numbers are. The lady that was featured probably was glad to get the interview she spoke of, etc. Poor journalism, yes. A lie, or misrepresentation, no.
Thom, we are in agreement on the big picture on many issues including the state of the media and public dialogue in Hickory. I think this time, it was the wrong choice of words and detracts from your credibility on the larger issue. And if you attack full bore, and publicly, you need to have all your i's dotted and t's crossed.
Misrepresented and Misreported are different words and nowhere in what I wrote in that article do the words represent, misrepresent, or any derivative thereof exist.
I said that they "misreported" the story, because the HEADLINE (the main focus) only told half of the truth. You say that I need to have my i's dotted and t's crossed to maintain some holy realm of credibility?
I'll put my credibility up against the best of them. Look at the research that I have done. The only paper that I have seen do research on articles to back up what they have said, to the degree I do, is the Wall Street Journal.
I have not spent countless hours on this blog to throw up trivial pablum and I don't think you can say what I wrote in that article is pablum.
We can agree to disagree, because I contend that what I wrote represents the truth. I'll be happy to let people decide whether I am credible or not. WHKY Radio's Rob Eastwood and Hal Row certainly reported the story the way that I would expect professionals to report it this morning.
WHKY Radio is my source for the vital information that takes place in the Hickory area. They listen to the people and they do in-depth stories. It may not be hard hitting Mike Wallace stuff, but at least I get a taste of what is going on in Hickory by listening to "First Talk" and the News reports from Rob Eastwood every morning.
Post a Comment