The Blame Game

Today's NYTimes article, "Blaming the Guy Who Came Before Doesn't Work Long" discusses the Obama administration's practice of blaming the Bush administration for all the things it now must fix.  

The article, however, seems to only scratch the surface of the "blame game."  This NYTimes article also doesn't go nearly far enough.  If we're really going to talk blame, we need to go back decades--decades of decisions or lack thereof that created the bubble that burst in 2008. Talking "red ink" doesn't even begin to address the half of it.  Recession, housing, energy, credit--yes, President Obama inherited it and has taken on a monumental task, one that will obviously not be solved by one man alone.  

So, yes, maybe we need to examine where the blame should be placed.  What's the saying? Those who do not remember history are doomed to repeat it.  It seems preventing such monumental crises, such as the one we are in right now, will take a new political generation--a new generation's attitude that doesn't prize fortune over the worker, the corporation over families.   

After a Long Hiatus...

I now realize it has been months since I have composed a post, so now I am back at it!  

Once and for all, let me critique some recent "news" programming I encountered.  

Let's be real: I'm not expecting the Today Show to do any hard-hitting journalism by any means, but please, we can do better than this.  

First, I was frustrated by Matt Lauer's upcoming, "powerful" interview with the Captain of the ship that was captured by pirates.  The voice-over portrays it as one of the most compelling interviews you'll witness in a while.  Yes, the captain is certainly heroic.  Yes, it's an interesting story.  But, as my professor noted, LET'S COVER THE REAL STORY.  The situation in Somalia, for crying out loud.

Another example: One of Sunday's short segments illustrated how the recession is impacting some parents' ability to send their kids to summer camps and how they will now have to think of "creative alternatives" for summer activities.  Yeah, welcome to the real world.  Many our of parents could never send us to camps period.  Yet again, mainstream media are illustrating how the recession has hit THE TOP INCOME BRACKETS, not those HARDEST HIT BY THE RECESSION.  This is a small, but important trend that has been hitting print and the airwaves.  Need another example?  See my post about the article entitled, "You try to live on $500K in this town." 

This is my call for a stop to frivolous and mind-numbingly shallow news programming.  

I want the journalism that Jon Stewart wants Jim Cramer to use on CNBC.  You know, that kind of watchdog coverage that looks out for our civic interests as citizens.  In the words of Stewart, "I want the Jim Cramer on CNBC to protect me from that Jim Cramer."  

Amen.

Oh Google

I must admit, I make a lot of cracks about Google.  

I've expressed my curiosity and concern over the "Street View" feature on Google Maps.

I wrote a news analysis with a thesis that proposed Flu Trends is veering into some privacy issues with the tool. 

I've joked that Google is taking over the world.  

And then I read this and got a good laugh.

It's funny.  Sometimes I think WSJ's editorial board walks on water and other times, I fear it's gone off the deep end.  

Now Google has made my view concrete.

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Plane Crash and Journalism Sensitivity

You probably remember the plane crash in mid-January, when a flock of birds killed both engines in the aircraft, and the captain made a successful water landing in the Hudson River. There, everyone survived.  

Today, however, a tragedy occurred.  Earlier this morning the NYTimes reported 50 people were killed in a plane crash near Buffalo.  One of the victims was a person in a house into which the plane crashed.

The Times quoted a woman who lives near the crash site.  She says:

"I feel bad for the people on the plane and their families.  I feel bad for the fireman who have to recover the remains of those poor people."

As do I.  

Later in the story, however, the Times quotes a man whose sister was killed in the crash.  It appears, from the way the story was written, that CNN interviewed this man, as the Times article says, "Chris Kausner told CNN that his sister was on the flight."

The article also says:

"When a reporter asked Mr. Kausner how his family was taking the news, he said, 'I heard my mother make a sound into the phone that I had never heard before.  So, not good."

I do not know who interviewed this man or if he was willing to be interviewed.  Regardless, in this situation, I as a reporter, would use more discretion and common sense.  If my brother was just killed in a plane crash, I think a question like "How is your family taking the news?" is incredibly absurd and insensitive.  

How exactly would I feel?

I would be heartbroken, not in the mood to recount my feelings to reporters, and tempted to use expletives in my responses to those reporters who would seek me out to ask.

Use your brain.  

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Still Leary of the PB&J

Not that I was ever a huge peanut butter eater before, but now, with the advent of "one of the largest food recalls in the nation's history," I certainly won't be eating a PB&J anytime soon.  

The latest installment of the saga came yesterday, when the NYTimes reported the peanut products in question were sent out before laboratory tests could be completed.  As the Times reported, the contamination led to 8 deaths and more than 550 illnesses.  

After pleading their fifth amendment rights, the president and manager of the Georgia plant were asked what seems to be the underlying moral question by a Republican representative.  After showing a jar wrapped in crime scene tape filled with contaminated food, the representative asked, "Would either of you be willing to take the lid off and eat any of these products?"  

Yeeeeah, didn't think so.

The pundits are now wondering, will the Obama administration make good on promises for better food regulations?  And, rightfully so.  I seem to remember when I had to be weary of spinach and tomatoes, too.

The Times noted Obama's pledge in another article: 

"Far too often, tainted food is not recalled until too late.  When I am President, it will not be business as usual when it comes to food safety.  I will provide additional resources to hire more federal food inspectors."

In the meantime, though, I think I'll hold off on PB&J and my favorite crackers.

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Economic Stimulus Package...What Will Work?

Economic stimulus package.  Bailout.  Worst financial crisis since the Great Depression.  Nearly 3.6 million jobs lost since December 2007.  

We've heard all the buzz words and sobering truths.  Now, I wonder...what will actually work to stimulate the economy and when will it take effect?  

I, like everyone else, has seen and heard President Obama as he crosses the country in an attempt to garner political and public support for his stimulus package.  As he said in his Monday press conference: 

"I can't tell you for sure that everything in this plan will work exactly as we hope.  But I can tell you with complete confidence that a failure to act will only deepen this crisis as well as the pain felt by millions of Americans."

I have no doubt that's true.  However, I'd like a little more explanation as to the specific components of the stimulus package and how its authors predict it will stimulate the economy. Will it work?  How long?  What are the possible ramifications, if any?  

We've heard Democrats agree with Obama and say unequivocally that this will work. Republicans say unequivocally that if instituted, the stimulus will produce dire consequences.  

Here, the NYTimes outlines the differences between the House and Senate stimulus bills. 

I guess we have to dive in and "hope" whatever form of the package that is passed will work.

We certainly can't afford to waste more time.

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Woe is Me in NYC

As I casually gazed over the NYTimes homepage today, this article caught my eye.  It is entitled, "You Try to Live on $500K in This Town."  It outlines how difficult it will be for Wall Street banking executives to maintain their upscale lifestyles if their firms accepted federal bailout money--because it would mean their maximum salary would equal a mere $500,000.  It details how much private school fees cost per year, an annual mortgage payment in the area, the fees for a nanny, taxes, living expenses, personal trainer expenses, the sum for formal gowns for charity functions.  Oh, and "frozen hot chocolate" costs $8.50.

I'm sure you get the feel for the article by now.  

Perhaps this quote sums up my reaction:

"Few are playing sad cellos over the fate of such folk, especially since the collapse of the institutions they run has yielded untold financial pain."

The article says, "the cold hard math can be cruel."

Yes it can, so let's look at the bigger picture.  This is not to say the Times has not written articles, columns and blogs on the dramatic economic downtown.  For that bigger picture, however, I give you some other numbers--numbers, that in my opinion, warrant the Times' attention more so than nanny fees and pennies for personal trainers.

Via the Bureau of Labor Statistics: Approximately 598,000 jobs were lost in January alone. Approximately 3.6 million jobs were lost since the beginning of the recession in December 2007.  BLS estimates the current unemployment rate at 7.6%.

Think about what that means.  How that affects those workers without jobs, those workers' families.  Not about an $8 frozen hot chocolate.  

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Welcome

Hello,

This is my first venture into the ever-growing blogosphere.  I will update periodically, commenting on news articles and trends I find engaging, along with anything else that peaks my interest.  

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