Media Layoffs Hurt the Poor

categories: Activism, Culture of Poverty, Health & Healthcare, Jobs & Unemployment, News, Policy

Published October 02, 2009 @ 05:03AM PT

Yesterday, within the span of an hour, I spoke with 4 persons connected to 3 different media--2 newspapers, 1 TV news--who fear, or have experienced, job loss. These are people who think it important that poverty and homelessness, and other social issues, get coverage. They will likely feel the pain of job loss on the other side of the camera. And, I fear, people in poverty will suffer even more as this trend continues nationwide. Good journalists, already hard to find, are disappearing like snowflakes in summer.

Since the financial meltdown began a year ago, journalism jobs have gone away at almost three times the rate jobs have disappeared in the general economy, according to a report by Unity: Journalists of Color. (Editor & Publisher)

News about poverty and homelessness doesn't sell. When I talk to reporters I've known for years, they lament that they're too pressured to be able to adequately investigate stories, like the mortgage meltdown which those of us on the streets saw unfolding way before Rep. Barney Frank and company decried predatory loans.

How does this affect poverty? Unenlightened policies tend to hurt people in poverty. Now we're seeing the ranks of poverty and homelessness surge as people formerly known as "middle class" join the "have-nots." I'd speculate it's not the needs of people without insurance driving the discussion of our current health care debate.

In one Chicagoland area news company that faces almost certain extinction thanks to the "shenanigans" of its now jailed owner, over 1,800 people stand to lose jobs. They will lose health care, wages and spending power, and a chunk of self-esteem.

Seems to me when they lose we lose.

photos by the author

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Comments (3)

the trickle-down effect at it's best ~ unfortunately no one is immune to it's powers ~ sooner or later we're all sucked in

Posted by DIANE PICCIUOLO on 10/02/2009 @ 06:47AM PT
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Yeah, and who's going to do the reporting on it?

Posted by HEAR US on 10/02/2009 @ 03:46PM PT
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Yeah pain trickle up. Sooner or later we will NOT be sucked in if we END POVERTY.These once called middleclass are really the uncounted of the poor.

I know News about poverty dors not sell. Editors Have told me "No one is interested in poverty."

That is why I ASK caring people to change editors minds, by making poverty rank in the top 10 of popular searches.

This is a New Untied Idea. Yahoo and Google has just started listing the top 10 and 20 most popular searches.

I do not know how many hits we require for the top ten but we have from Dec. 10, 12:01 to 12:00 the next morning, to find out. This can be done around the world.

Media refuses to report some topics related to poverty.

As in Maine jobs paying $10 on hour are deemed good jobs. But it costs $15.51 just to cover the rent. This is a bad paying job. Minimum wage should Go up to $19.60 mot $9.20 in 2011.

Nor that public officials turn away those in need who qualify foe help to save cash in the short run. Officials do this by re-inventing good enacted laws. Changing them into bad Laws

I have not studied the report from the UK. But I agree with at least two points.

1. to eradicate poverty not just reduce numbers should be the goal of everyone.

2 America needs new thinking on this topic.

As what US Senator Ted Kennedy said to the effect of.

"All Americans working for a living should not be in poverty"

Check out the report by going to http://zunia.org/index.php?id=11728&tx_dgcontent_pi1[tt_news]=288589&cHash=26471db123.

Then hitting the report link.

Then: Think about joining some people who will vote to have the voices of poverty heard by looking up Poverty on their search engine, at Yohoo and Google. this Dec. 10. Its Human Rights day

Vote once or 101 times by puttting the word Poverty into the search browser then hitting GO. You are not approving of anything, except America should speak about poverty.

Seek people to themselves vote and to find other who will find others.

How it will work. If we look up just the word Poverty on Yahoo and alternatively Google enough times, his will register the word poverty as a popular Search.

I am Delighted that Someone Is Pointing Out, The MEDIA is Not carrying the Real News of Poverty.

Newspapers editors will have this phemonon pointed out to them by activist like myself. They can no longer saw the public is not interested in poverty if it is a popular search. This could result in news sources carrying the untold stories of poverty.

Hospitality House Inc., will tell news sources that some people voted more than once. But they are voting also for the caring people who due to our lack of income, we cannot design a program which will reach many caring people.  We can not reach to get them to vote. But we know they are there.

We only ask for searches. Your searches can improve they way Americans, the world, thinks about 40+ million counted with a Lack of income.

On Dec 10th Search Yahoo and Google for poverty. Get others to do the same. Have the others you find, ask the groups they belong to to do the same.

I pray that Change.org will allow this to appear and might reach another idea or two on getting people interested.

Fighting for Human rights on Human Rights Day

Posted by jan Lightfootlane on 10/03/2009 @ 07:54AM PT
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Author

Diane Nilan, founder and president of HEAR US Inc., has over 23 years experience working impoverished and homeless families. Since 2005, Nilan’s cross-country journey to non-urban communities has focused on poverty and homelessness, particularly as it affects invisible families and teens. She filmed the award-winning series of documentaries, My Own Four Walls, children and youth sharing how homelessness affects their lives and their education. Her reader-friendly book, “Crossing the Line: Taking Steps to End Homelessness,” gives unique insights into homelessness. Her latest production, “REACH” empowers incarcerated parents to advocate for their homeless children’s educational rights.