Monday, the New York Times posted a piece that uncovered the difficulty African Americans have in finding work; additionally strong credentials of academic and professional backgrounds have failed to close gaps between Blacks and Caucasians.
Interestingly, the story did not necessarily have to move past racial stereotypes because it was about them, and the ways in which some black professionals have altered their resumes to purge any hint of race that might be in them.
The piece began with a short profile: "Johnny R. Williams, 30, would appear to be an unlikely person to have to fret about the impact of race on his job search, with companies like JPMorgan Chase and an M.B.A. from the University of Chicago on his résumé."
“If they’re going to X me,” Mr. Williams said, “I’d like to at least get in the door first.”
Williams has deleted his membership of the African-American student business association among other things.
The Times justified the claims of William and the stories of others that noted failed business relationships after executives met black individuals about jobs by noting the differences in unemployment rates of the races. "The unemployment rate for black male college graduates 25 and older in 2009 has been nearly twice that of white male college graduates — 8.4 percent compared with 4.4 percent."
The statistic provides concrete evidence with the contextual claims made by the individuals within the articles, therefore strengthening the argument and couching personal stories within concrete fact.
The TImes traveled across the country to gather interviews, and reported, "The discrimination is rarely overt, according to interviews with more than two dozen college-educated black job seekers around the country, many of them out of work for months. Instead, those interviewed told subtler stories, referring to surprised looks and offhand comments, interviews that fell apart almost as soon as they began, and the sudden loss of interest from companies after meetings."
Because the piece focuses on uncovering what still might be a prominent issue of race in our country, it doesn't have to dance around the issue of whether a person is white of black. Because it's focal to the issue, it's also focal within the article. It acknowledges the stereotypes within the people who were interviewed, but additionally fails to provide much insight from the other side of the argument--the white professionals to blame.
By no means am I condoning the factual evidence of these issues, but it does seem a bit of a one sided argument. Further, it juxtaposes the great lengths the country went in electing our current President, but calls out a failure of the rest of the nation to follow suit. At least it seems to question the situation in this way.
The individuals interviewed also have their own worries about race.
According to the Times, It is difficult to overstate the degree that they say race permeates nearly every aspect of their job searches, from how early they show up to interviews to the kinds of anecdotes they try to come up with.
“You want to be a nonthreatening, professional black guy,” said Winston Bell, 40, of Cleveland, who has been looking for a job in business development.
He drew an analogy to several prominent black sports broadcasters. “You don’t want to be Stephen A. Smith. You want to be Bryant Gumbel. You don’t even want to be Stuart Scott. You don’t want to be, ‘Booyah.’ ”
Nearly all said they agonized over job applications that asked them whether they would like to identify their race. Most said they usually did not.
Friday, December 4, 2009
Job Report Stronger
Friday, the New York Times published the latest job report as being, "...The strongest jobs report since the recession began two years ago, the nation’s employers all but stopped shedding jobs in November, the government reported on Friday, and they appeared to be on the verge of finally rebuilding the work force."
But who knows if this surge is the result of the Holiday Hire?
The Wall Street Journal also reported the news: Employers shed only 11,000 net jobs while the unemployment rate fell from 10.2 percent to 10.0 percent.
According to the times, the surge was sudden news to even the most optimistic forecasters for the economy. Additionally the paper noted that "The Obama administration was quick to take credit for the improvement, asserting that the $787 billion stimulus package had thus far either saved or created a total of 1.6 million jobs."
The Wall Street Journal proved more cautious, writing, "However, this turnaround may proceed at a much slower pace than previous recoveries. Job losses in this downturn are the result of a sharp drop in private-sector job creation. Reduced private-sector investment--rather than an increase in layoffs--is the primary engine driving higher unemployment. Yet the Obama Administration has done little to address this problem, focusing instead on increasing government spending rather than encouraging entrepreneurial activity. In a telling example of the White House's approach toward employment, yesterday's job summit excluded groups that represent job creators like the Chamber of Commerce and the National Federation of Independent Businesses."
The Journal continued to note that the increase could simply be due to the fact that many individuals are simply giving up. Leaving the workforce, and pausing in their searches. Though the majority of those leaving the workforce were teenagers, with 62,000, still, about 70,000 men age 20 and over left the labor force, but 35,000 women of the same age entered the labor force.
The journal concluded, "Since teenagers are far more likely to be unemployed, this helped reduce the unemployment rate. It is likely that the unemployment rate will climb once potential workers reenter the labor force."
But who knows if this surge is the result of the Holiday Hire?
The Wall Street Journal also reported the news: Employers shed only 11,000 net jobs while the unemployment rate fell from 10.2 percent to 10.0 percent.
According to the times, the surge was sudden news to even the most optimistic forecasters for the economy. Additionally the paper noted that "The Obama administration was quick to take credit for the improvement, asserting that the $787 billion stimulus package had thus far either saved or created a total of 1.6 million jobs."
The Wall Street Journal proved more cautious, writing, "However, this turnaround may proceed at a much slower pace than previous recoveries. Job losses in this downturn are the result of a sharp drop in private-sector job creation. Reduced private-sector investment--rather than an increase in layoffs--is the primary engine driving higher unemployment. Yet the Obama Administration has done little to address this problem, focusing instead on increasing government spending rather than encouraging entrepreneurial activity. In a telling example of the White House's approach toward employment, yesterday's job summit excluded groups that represent job creators like the Chamber of Commerce and the National Federation of Independent Businesses."
The Journal continued to note that the increase could simply be due to the fact that many individuals are simply giving up. Leaving the workforce, and pausing in their searches. Though the majority of those leaving the workforce were teenagers, with 62,000, still, about 70,000 men age 20 and over left the labor force, but 35,000 women of the same age entered the labor force.
The journal concluded, "Since teenagers are far more likely to be unemployed, this helped reduce the unemployment rate. It is likely that the unemployment rate will climb once potential workers reenter the labor force."
U.S. draws favorable bid for World Cup in June
The New York Times reported Friday that the United States will play England in their first game of the World Cup in South Africa in June.
The Americans are expected to advance after their first game; it would reportedly be a disappointment should they not.
However, it may not be smooth sailing. According to the time, "If the Americans advance, as expected, they will face a difficult second-round matchup against an emerging team from a group that includes powerhouse Germany, Australia, Serbia and Ghana."
The Miami Herald also commented on the draw, noting the auspicious start by quoting the team's coach: "Great way to start, big challenge, but when you come to World Cup and chance to kick it off against opponent like England, that's a great start," Coach Bob Bradley said on ESPN upon hearing the news."
According to the Herald, more than 200 million fans worldwide were expected to tune into Friday's World Cup draw from Cape Town.
The Times continued their piece by noting the American team's history at past cups, which has not been favorable in the last several years.
England is also preparing for the match up. Of this, their team's manager, Fabio Capello said to the Times, "I think it will be not an easy game. Another thing important, the U.S.A. will have more time to prepare for the World Cup. They will be staying together. It’s very important the first game. The U.S.A. knows, we know, if you win the first game, it’s easier to play the other games.”
The Americans are expected to advance after their first game; it would reportedly be a disappointment should they not.
However, it may not be smooth sailing. According to the time, "If the Americans advance, as expected, they will face a difficult second-round matchup against an emerging team from a group that includes powerhouse Germany, Australia, Serbia and Ghana."
The Miami Herald also commented on the draw, noting the auspicious start by quoting the team's coach: "Great way to start, big challenge, but when you come to World Cup and chance to kick it off against opponent like England, that's a great start," Coach Bob Bradley said on ESPN upon hearing the news."
According to the Herald, more than 200 million fans worldwide were expected to tune into Friday's World Cup draw from Cape Town.
The Times continued their piece by noting the American team's history at past cups, which has not been favorable in the last several years.
England is also preparing for the match up. Of this, their team's manager, Fabio Capello said to the Times, "I think it will be not an easy game. Another thing important, the U.S.A. will have more time to prepare for the World Cup. They will be staying together. It’s very important the first game. The U.S.A. knows, we know, if you win the first game, it’s easier to play the other games.”
Oil Pipline leaks 210,000 gallons near Central Minnesota
According to the Minneapolis Star Tribune Friday reported both state and national crews are working to clean up the enormous spill of crude oil across the state.
There spill was discovered around 6:30 a.m. and came from a 16 inch pipeline in a wooded area that connects a pumping station with the Flint Hills refinery in Rosemount.
"There's no indication the oil has reached any nearby waterways, said Kristine Chapin, a spokeswoman for the Minnesota Office of Pipeline Safety for the Star Tribune.
Local outlet Kare 11 also reported on the disaster with a graphic that depicted the Twin Cities in relation to the spill.
According to MPCA information officer Steve Mikkelson says the area of the spill is about 20 by 40 feet, and the pipe has been shut down.
Kare 11 also reported that any salvageable oil will be filtered back into the pipeline as it is picked up.
There spill was discovered around 6:30 a.m. and came from a 16 inch pipeline in a wooded area that connects a pumping station with the Flint Hills refinery in Rosemount.
"There's no indication the oil has reached any nearby waterways, said Kristine Chapin, a spokeswoman for the Minnesota Office of Pipeline Safety for the Star Tribune.
Local outlet Kare 11 also reported on the disaster with a graphic that depicted the Twin Cities in relation to the spill.
According to MPCA information officer Steve Mikkelson says the area of the spill is about 20 by 40 feet, and the pipe has been shut down.
Kare 11 also reported that any salvageable oil will be filtered back into the pipeline as it is picked up.
Sunday, November 22, 2009
Industrialized Nations Unveil Plans to Rein in Emissions
Thursday, the New York Times published a piece that discussed the ways, and more specifically, the percentage that specific nations aim to reduce emissions in response to climate change.
The discussions will take place among the world's leaders who will meet in Copenhagen, Germany Dec. 7-18.
The piece goes on to discuss how individual countries--the United States, Korea and so forth will go about making these reductions; it also lists the percentages that these nations will reduce their emissions by: 17, 30 percent etc.
The trouble, is that the author of the piece doesn't really place these numbers in context. Thirty percent is a fairly large number, but how does Korea's 30 percent compare to other countries?
To illustrate in further detail, here is a quote: "This week, South Korea said it would cut emissions by 30 percent from “business as usual” by 2020. Russia’s president, Dmitri A. Medvedev, said his country would try to reduce emissions by 25 percent by then, instead of 15 percent as announced earlier. Last week, Brazil promised reductions of about 40 percent below current projections by 2020."
So I have a laundry list that sounds good; helping the earth, reducing greenhouse emissions, but supplementary context should really be used if the reporter really wants these numbers to mean something to his readers.
Additionally, the paper fails to report how they came up with the numbers. While the piece does quote the number given by each country, the reader has no idea how these readers were computed, and whether they are really reliable.
The discussions will take place among the world's leaders who will meet in Copenhagen, Germany Dec. 7-18.
The piece goes on to discuss how individual countries--the United States, Korea and so forth will go about making these reductions; it also lists the percentages that these nations will reduce their emissions by: 17, 30 percent etc.
The trouble, is that the author of the piece doesn't really place these numbers in context. Thirty percent is a fairly large number, but how does Korea's 30 percent compare to other countries?
To illustrate in further detail, here is a quote: "This week, South Korea said it would cut emissions by 30 percent from “business as usual” by 2020. Russia’s president, Dmitri A. Medvedev, said his country would try to reduce emissions by 25 percent by then, instead of 15 percent as announced earlier. Last week, Brazil promised reductions of about 40 percent below current projections by 2020."
So I have a laundry list that sounds good; helping the earth, reducing greenhouse emissions, but supplementary context should really be used if the reporter really wants these numbers to mean something to his readers.
Additionally, the paper fails to report how they came up with the numbers. While the piece does quote the number given by each country, the reader has no idea how these readers were computed, and whether they are really reliable.
Son objects to moving Camus' remains
According to the New York Times on Sunday, French President Nicolas Sarkozy wants to transfer the remains of the writer Albert Camus to one of the most hallowed burial places in France, "but the plan has run into opposition from the Nobel laureate’s son, who does not think his father would have wanted the honor."
New Outlet telegraph.co.uk has also picked up the story, notes the story is a blow to the French President who already has rocky relation's with the country's "literary elite."
The honor was intended to mark the 50th anniversary of the death of Camus, author of The Stranger. Camus died in a car crash on January 1960 just south of Paris along with his publisher.
According to the Times, "Camus’s son, Jean, says interring his father’s remains at the Panthéon, the Paris monument to some of the great men and women of France, would be contrary to his father’s wishes and does not want to have his legacy put to work in the service of the state, Le Monde quoted an unidentified intimate of Mr. Camus’s as saying."
His daughter, however, manages his estate and plans to give approval for the plan to move the remains.
Though the decision is not final, the President has reportedly been in touch with the family to go on with his proposal.
New Outlet telegraph.co.uk has also picked up the story, notes the story is a blow to the French President who already has rocky relation's with the country's "literary elite."
The honor was intended to mark the 50th anniversary of the death of Camus, author of The Stranger. Camus died in a car crash on January 1960 just south of Paris along with his publisher.
According to the Times, "Camus’s son, Jean, says interring his father’s remains at the Panthéon, the Paris monument to some of the great men and women of France, would be contrary to his father’s wishes and does not want to have his legacy put to work in the service of the state, Le Monde quoted an unidentified intimate of Mr. Camus’s as saying."
His daughter, however, manages his estate and plans to give approval for the plan to move the remains.
Though the decision is not final, the President has reportedly been in touch with the family to go on with his proposal.
Man drives car into local physician's office
On Friday, local station WCCO reported that a man who drove his truck into a university building was actually aiming for a Minneapolis FBI building.
According to WCCO, the driver, James Kromer, 36, "told police he was angry about a "computer type device" that was located inside the building and was sending signals to his head and read his thoughts, according to the complaint."
The Star Tribune also covered the story, reporting Kromer smashed his 1996 Dodge pickup truck into the three-story glass atrium of a building belonging to Physicians & Surgeons Capital Corp. at 1100 Washington Av. S. about 6 p.m. Thursday.
The damage to the building reportedly exceeds $20,000.
According to the Star Tribune, Kromer has a history of drug and drinking-related criminal offenses, and his mental health is currently being evaluated.
According to WCCO, the driver, James Kromer, 36, "told police he was angry about a "computer type device" that was located inside the building and was sending signals to his head and read his thoughts, according to the complaint."
The Star Tribune also covered the story, reporting Kromer smashed his 1996 Dodge pickup truck into the three-story glass atrium of a building belonging to Physicians & Surgeons Capital Corp. at 1100 Washington Av. S. about 6 p.m. Thursday.
The damage to the building reportedly exceeds $20,000.
According to the Star Tribune, Kromer has a history of drug and drinking-related criminal offenses, and his mental health is currently being evaluated.
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