5 ms·

This article is from NPR, which is theoretically as left as mainstream american media gets. Now look at the article and count the “facts” that the farm owner’s

This article is from NPR, which is theoretically as left as mainstream american media gets. Now look at the article and count the “facts” that the farm owner’s got into the article, and count the “facts” that the workers got in. This is biased writing. It’s telling mostly the farmers perspective, and fully allowing them to weave a narrative - while only talking to the workers to get a few pull quotes backing up one element of the story: that things have gotten worse. “Business” journalism, in fact, most journaism, is from the perspective of capital. We read it, and imagine ourselves in the position of the owners and investors, trying to profit. But it’s far far more likely that if we were part of this story, we would be in the position of the workers, trying to survive on the scraps the owners toss our way.

bamfly 3y ago
There's a reason NPR's expanded as "Nice Polite Republicans" in certain circles.
BaseballPhysics 3y ago
They also conveniently selected a farm for the article that grows a type of produce (asparagus) that requires unusually skilled labour that this demands a higher hourly wage than average. The article is absolutely slanted.
wffurr 3y ago
NPR at most leans left. It’s hardly a socialist newsletter. https://www.allsides.com/news-source/npr-media-bias https://www.allsides.com/news-source/npr-media-bias
gruez 3y ago
>and fully allowing them to weave a narrative - while only talking to the workers to get a few pull quotes backing up one element of the story: that things have gotten worse. Well don't leave us hanging. What are some ways this is better for the workers, that you think NPR omitted?
- BaseballPhysics 3y ago
  So are you going to claim that there is not a single farm in the state that opted to pay their labourers overtime? Not a single one?
- kennywinker 3y ago
  It’s not that this is good for workers. I believe the workers when they said it sucks. It’s all in the little details. As an example: you probably finished the article thinking “wow, farm workers make $30/hour!” Because that is what the owner said. But what was actually said was “Skilled cutters can earn more than $30 an hour”. Which probably means most cutters are making much less, and what about the other jobs on the farm? I bet there are more titles than just “cutter”.
adamredwoods 3y ago
>> This article is from NPR, which is theoretically as left as mainstream american media gets Not true. Mother Jones and CNN are far more left. https://www.allsides.com/media-bias/media-bias-chart https://www.allsides.com/media-bias/media-bias-chart >> This is biased writing. Almost all news reporting is biased, in terms of when they emphasize and what they leave out, who they quote, etc. Truth is an onion, many layers, and if you want pure truth, be prepared to dig very very deep. News writing like this would become a research paper, which most news readers are not prepared to consume. From the article: >> "The addition of overtime makes our already high labor costs completely uncompetitive to Mexico and Peru," says Schreiber, citing the top two asparagus exporters to the U.S. In both countries, cutters make less in a day than Schreiber pays in an hour. Seems like there is a bit more layers to explore.
- kennywinker 3y ago
  When you’re talking about labour issues, but you mostly talk to owners, that’s different from leaving global markets out of the story. The workers perspective is incredible relevant, in fact i’d say it’s more relevant than the owner’s perspective, to the idea of “how do we get american grown asparagus, while paying workers fairly” which is theoretically what the article is about.
  - adamredwoods 3y ago
    The "Why" is important. Why can't the farmer pass prices on to consumers? The workers's whys are important to: Why isn't 48h per week enough? The legislative why: Why did a revision bill to allow 50h work week fail?
    - kennywinker 3y ago
      Yup. All true and interesting, but none of this whataboutism makes the article unbiased, while purporting to tell the story of both the workers and the employer.
      - 3y ago

bamfly 3y ago

There's a reason NPR's expanded as "Nice Polite Republicans" in certain circles.

BaseballPhysics 3y ago

They also conveniently selected a farm for the article that grows a type of produce (asparagus) that requires unusually skilled labour that this demands a higher hourly wage than average. The article is absolutely slanted.

wffurr 3y ago

NPR at most leans left. It’s hardly a socialist newsletter. https://www.allsides.com/news-source/npr-media-bias https://www.allsides.com/news-source/npr-media-bias

gruez 3y ago

>and fully allowing them to weave a narrative - while only talking to the workers to get a few pull quotes backing up one element of the story: that things have gotten worse. Well don't leave us hanging. What are some ways this is better for the workers, that you think NPR omitted?

BaseballPhysics 3y ago
So are you going to claim that there is not a single farm in the state that opted to pay their labourers overtime? Not a single one?
kennywinker 3y ago
It’s not that this is good for workers. I believe the workers when they said it sucks. It’s all in the little details. As an example: you probably finished the article thinking “wow, farm workers make $30/hour!” Because that is what the owner said. But what was actually said was “Skilled cutters can earn more than $30 an hour”. Which probably means most cutters are making much less, and what about the other jobs on the farm? I bet there are more titles than just “cutter”.

adamredwoods 3y ago

>> This article is from NPR, which is theoretically as left as mainstream american media gets Not true. Mother Jones and CNN are far more left. https://www.allsides.com/media-bias/media-bias-chart https://www.allsides.com/media-bias/media-bias-chart >> This is biased writing. Almost all news reporting is biased, in terms of when they emphasize and what they leave out, who they quote, etc. Truth is an onion, many layers, and if you want pure truth, be prepared to dig very very deep. News writing like this would become a research paper, which most news readers are not prepared to consume. From the article: >> "The addition of overtime makes our already high labor costs completely uncompetitive to Mexico and Peru," says Schreiber, citing the top two asparagus exporters to the U.S. In both countries, cutters make less in a day than Schreiber pays in an hour. Seems like there is a bit more layers to explore.

kennywinker 3y ago
When you’re talking about labour issues, but you mostly talk to owners, that’s different from leaving global markets out of the story. The workers perspective is incredible relevant, in fact i’d say it’s more relevant than the owner’s perspective, to the idea of “how do we get american grown asparagus, while paying workers fairly” which is theoretically what the article is about.
- adamredwoods 3y ago
  The "Why" is important. Why can't the farmer pass prices on to consumers? The workers's whys are important to: Why isn't 48h per week enough? The legislative why: Why did a revision bill to allow 50h work week fail?
  - kennywinker 3y ago
    Yup. All true and interesting, but none of this whataboutism makes the article unbiased, while purporting to tell the story of both the workers and the employer.
    - 3y ago