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This is a great case study in how news media manufactures hysteria over commonplace occurrences. A reporter "keeps hearing of train burglaries on the scanner" a

by lsy 5y ago

This is a great case study in how news media manufactures hysteria over commonplace occurrences. A reporter "keeps hearing of train burglaries on the scanner" and goes to take pictures, then tweets them. What did the location look like before? We don't know. Are the reports on the scanner more common? Also not discussed. The tweets prompt reporters to start calling the usual suspects: The company experiencing losses gives one misleading comparison to locked-down 2020 and an absolute figure for losses rather than a relative comparison over time. That makes sense, because they want government and cops to step in so they don't have to cover it. Next up the reporters call LAPD, who have a political motive to imply that the problem is worse than ever, to justify increased jurisdiction and funding. And that's… pretty much where it ends. Nobody bothers to look back to 2019 or before; nobody bothers to see whether a higher percentage of rail cars are looted, or whether there are now more rail cars and online shopping in total; nobody bothers to analyze whether the increased wait times or any other factor are in play. I would love to actually understand this issue, but the article is designed to shock me with photos of debris and make me feel as if anarchy has descended upon the streets of Los Angeles, a fear-based reaction that apparently many HN commenters are susceptible to. It's dismaying and ultimately unsatisfying to read when the only goal is to drive clicks and engagement.

gruez 5y ago
>What did the location look like before? We don't know. I'm going to go on a limb and say that the tracks being absolutely covered in discarded envelopes isn't normal.
- lsy 5y ago
  Good reporting involves investigation, not assuming that the first time you’re seeing something is the first time anyone is seeing it. If you’ve gone anywhere near railroad tracks in industrial parts of Los Angeles in the past decade, you’ve seen things that are hard to believe are happening, but have indeed been commonplace for years. I’m not asserting this mess is commonplace or isn’t, but it would be great if the reporter bothered to investigate whether it was, so that readers have context.
  - gruez 5y ago
    >Good reporting involves investigation, not assuming that the first time you’re seeing something is the first time anyone is seeing it. What gave you the impression otherwise? Three paragraphs in, there's a person being interviewed who claims "he comes to the tracks regularly". That definitely suggest they know they're not the first people seeing it. >If you’ve gone anywhere near railroad tracks in industrial parts of Los Angeles in the past decade, you’ve seen things that are hard to believe are happening, but have indeed been commonplace for years. Like what? >I’m not asserting this mess is commonplace or isn’t, but it would be great if the reporter bothered to investigate whether it was, so that readers have context. The article mentions: "Union Pacific reported what it claimed was a 160% increase since December 2020 in thefts along the railroad tracks in L.A. County.". An increase of 160% suggests that it was not "commonplace for years".

by lsy 5y ago

gruez 5y ago

>What did the location look like before? We don't know. I'm going to go on a limb and say that the tracks being absolutely covered in discarded envelopes isn't normal.

lsy 5y ago
Good reporting involves investigation, not assuming that the first time you’re seeing something is the first time anyone is seeing it. If you’ve gone anywhere near railroad tracks in industrial parts of Los Angeles in the past decade, you’ve seen things that are hard to believe are happening, but have indeed been commonplace for years. I’m not asserting this mess is commonplace or isn’t, but it would be great if the reporter bothered to investigate whether it was, so that readers have context.
- gruez 5y ago
  >Good reporting involves investigation, not assuming that the first time you’re seeing something is the first time anyone is seeing it. What gave you the impression otherwise? Three paragraphs in, there's a person being interviewed who claims "he comes to the tracks regularly". That definitely suggest they know they're not the first people seeing it. >If you’ve gone anywhere near railroad tracks in industrial parts of Los Angeles in the past decade, you’ve seen things that are hard to believe are happening, but have indeed been commonplace for years. Like what? >I’m not asserting this mess is commonplace or isn’t, but it would be great if the reporter bothered to investigate whether it was, so that readers have context. The article mentions: "Union Pacific reported what it claimed was a 160% increase since December 2020 in thefts along the railroad tracks in L.A. County.". An increase of 160% suggests that it was not "commonplace for years".