Pet peeve on reporting

[TitanTiger 20,511]

The other day I'm watching the Today Show and it's the first few minutes of the program when they go to the news desk with Ann Curry. She opens with the recently passed increase to the minimum wage. Now whether you agree with raising it or not is not the subject of this gripe. It's how she reported it. She said something to the effect that "millions of workers across the country will get the first raise in their pay in over a decade." Then she went on to say that the minimum wage was being increased for the first time since the early 90s.

The assumption being made here is that that same people who were making $5.15/hr 10+ years ago are still in those same jobs and are still making $5.15/hr, which anyone with a scintilla of common sense knows isn't the case. Most of those folks have since moved on to other jobs because they've graduated high school or college, or they've been promoted, or they've simply either gotten some kind of yearly raise each year or left to take a better paying job elsewhere. The people making $5.15 an hour now are for the most part people who are new to their jobs or are teens and college students with part time jobs.

But by framing it as "getting their first raise in pay in over a decade" it makes it sound like all these people were slaving away in these jobs making the same $5.15/hr they were making back in 1995, which is crap.

[Tigermike 3,053]

Titan, there is no bias in the media, you should know that.

(Before anyone goes there, yes I know those on the right frame questions and statements to fit their positions as do those on the left)

On a serious note, wouldn't you think that is one of the major contributing factors in the continuing decline of MSM viewers?

[otterinbham 0]

The other day I'm watching the Today Show and it's the first few minutes of the program when they go to the news desk with Ann Curry. She opens with the recently passed increase to the minimum wage. Now whether you agree with raising it or not is not the subject of this gripe. It's how she reported it. She said something to the effect that "millions of workers across the country will get the first raise in their pay in over a decade." Then she went on to say that the minimum wage was being increased for the first time since the early 90s.

The assumption being made here is that that same people who were making $5.15/hr 10+ years ago are still in those same jobs and are still making $5.15/hr, which anyone with a scintilla of common sense knows isn't the case. Most of those folks have since moved on to other jobs because they've graduated high school or college, or they've been promoted, or they've simply either gotten some kind of yearly raise each year or left to take a better paying job elsewhere. The people making $5.15 an hour now are for the most part people who are new to their jobs or are teens and college students with part time jobs.

But by framing it as "getting their first raise in pay in over a decade" it makes it sound like all these people were slaving away in these jobs making the same $5.15/hr they were making back in 1995, which is crap.

Good points, all. In addition, I'm sure they left out any mention that somewhere around 3% of workers in this country are currently being paid minimum wage (I saw that statistic several weeks ago in the WSJ, and I was frankly shocked at how low it actually was). However, the reason for this low number isn't government intervention but rather the market forces that have created extraordinarily high employment rates. When the McDonalds on Highway 280 is offering 10-12/hour for counter help and fry cooks, you really have to wonder who is making minimum wage in this country.

But, as you said, I can't watch television news much. Chiefly because their reporting is so sloppy.

[TexasTiger 13,017]

The other day I'm watching the Today Show and it's the first few minutes of the program when they go to the news desk with Ann Curry. She opens with the recently passed increase to the minimum wage. Now whether you agree with raising it or not is not the subject of this gripe. It's how she reported it. She said something to the effect that "millions of workers across the country will get the first raise in their pay in over a decade." Then she went on to say that the minimum wage was being increased for the first time since the early 90s.

The assumption being made here is that that same people who were making $5.15/hr 10+ years ago are still in those same jobs and are still making $5.15/hr, which anyone with a scintilla of common sense knows isn't the case. Most of those folks have since moved on to other jobs because they've graduated high school or college, or they've been promoted, or they've simply either gotten some kind of yearly raise each year or left to take a better paying job elsewhere. The people making $5.15 an hour now are for the most part people who are new to their jobs or are teens and college students with part time jobs.

But by framing it as "getting their first raise in pay in over a decade" it makes it sound like all these people were slaving away in these jobs making the same $5.15/hr they were making back in 1995, which is crap.

Good points, all. In addition, I'm sure they left out any mention that somewhere around 3% of workers in this country are currently being paid minimum wage (I saw that statistic several weeks ago in the WSJ, and I was frankly shocked at how low it actually was). However, the reason for this low number isn't government intervention but rather the market forces that have created extraordinarily high employment rates. When the McDonalds on Highway 280 is offering 10-12/hour for counter help and fry cooks, you really have to wonder who is making minimum wage in this country.

But, as you said, I can't watch television news much. Chiefly because their reporting is so sloppy.

Broadcast journalists tend to be shockingly uninformed.

[otterinbham 0]

You know, I watched "Broadcast News" the other night. The first time I had seen it since it was in theatres. Now that I'm older, I realize how spot on that movie really was. Basically, the dumb pretty boy makes it, while the guy who knows his stuff is relegated to the C list.

[BZ770 2]

The poverty line in the state of Alabama is around 14,000 per year. The new Min wage should support that figure. 5.15 an hour is out of date. I worked at Foy union about 6 years ago and that was all that the university pays students. I understood that it was a PT job but it would have been nice to make a little more.