New Precision Journalism questions…

1. I understand the rule of innocence to an extent especially with the example provided, but the rule of passivity is a new concept to me, I am wondering how any reader would be happy with research that a journalist takes at face value, and doesn’t do their side of the job in vetting the information or backing it up with their own research. My question is how is this such a strong pillar of journalism, and how have I not heard of it? Which leads me more so to ask how can a modern journalist remain objective? Is it impossible? Is looking into information considered me pushing my viewpoints?
2. At some point will we stop trying to teach journalists to condense their facts and teach children how to read and appreciate news? I really love this quote, “Fact-finding ability is, after all, the source of what power we possess.”

Class Matters…

I definitely buy the NY Times argument about the importance of class in the modern debate about income inequality.

Interview…

I have an interview subject but I haven’t been able to meet with her. I used to work with her at a day care. I know she lost this job and accepted unemployment for some time, then got a new job that she had to leave and was on the hunt for a new one for some time. Recently she told me she is not only searching for employment but is also pregnant with twins with an uninvolved father. She just got a new childcare job at $9.50/hr. I know it’s really difficult to survive on these wages because when we worked together I was making actual minimum wage while she made a bit more for her time with the establishment and for having 2 degrees in early child care. I think she would be a really interesting subject for me to interview given her situation at the moment, but I’m not sure if it’s unethical considering I know her fairly well and consider her a friend. Either way, I think a woman working in childcare is a good route to go especially speaking from experience in what I was paid as a full time minimum wage worker. I worked with 2-year olds 5 days a week sometimes more than 40 hours a week making $8.50 an hour. Imagine that you have a classroom of about 15 two year olds between you and 2 other teachers. We split up bathroom time and no joke those kiddos have to go basically after every activity we do, and there are accidents, and of course diaper changes. So I have 5 kids that may all have poop in their pull-ups and it may take me about 30 min to get them all through and hands washed and tears wiped if that’s what a bathroom break comes to (which trust me often times it did.) What would you say if I asked you to change 5 dirty diapers of toddlers, be chipper about it, keep everyone clean and happy, and I’ll pay you $4.25 for your efforts? WOW I needed a raise.

Questions on “The New Precision Journalism”: 1.) Because a journalist can look at one statistic or piece of data and come up with a completely different outcome than another journalist, how can one do his or her best to analyze data in a way that reflects all sides of a certain topic? 2.) When adjusting for inflation, how often does the task need to be done, and how can one understand when and how it needs to be adjusted?

On “Class Matters”: I do agree with the New York Times’ argument about class in the modern debate about income inequality, for the most part. To be completely honest, I have never been incredibly interested or knowledgeable about math in general, let alone the math that is involved in economic structures. So, as a result, my opinion really means nothing at this point. Still, the way class is set up now is much different than it was years ago. My dad, a 76-year-old code enforcement officer, grew up in a time where the classes were extremely separated. His family was as poor as it could be, and my dad understood the importance of hard work. He built up enough money to move into what would formerly be called the “middle class”. Today, though the lines are blurred, the top of the food chain and the bottom of it are still polar opposites. The rich continue to get richer, while the poor do just the opposite. The middle, on the other hand, has split into many different sectors that can be classified by many factors other than simply money or material wealth. Still, I do agree that a person’s standing on the spectrum at birth determines at least a part of what his or her income will be later in life. At the same time, the American economic system is fluid to a point, so that same person could move up or down on the spectrum depending on connections, work ethic, and sheer luck.

Interview Subject:

Jenny Ridyard is a woman in her mid-50s who works at 7Hills Homeless Shelter in Fayetteville. Once homeless herself, Ridyard now works as one of the main data workers at the shelter. While her salary at 7Hills is not extravagant by any means, her husband’s disability checks and the family’s frugality has given them the opportunity to live relatively comfortably.

“All I need is a bed, clothes, car, food, and I’m good,” Ridyard said. “This shirt is two dollars, (these pants) are two dollars, these bracelets and everything are one dollar. I get everything from thrift stores.”

While Ridyard’s job description isn’t on the OES database, Community and Social Service Specialists make $27,980 a year in Arkansas. One could assume that’s about what Ridyard makes.

“People don’t need to get all the fancy stuff and the name brands,” Ridyard said. “Save, save, save. I’ve been on the other side where you don’t have anything at all. It changed my perspective, living out in the woods with nothing.”