Tag file unemployment
Blame it on the crisis
By Fernando Mexia - Economy , Maria Benito , featured - 08/05/2009
Maria Benito, journalist
¿We will miss the crisis?
We are in crisis, no doubt. And the data is terrible. Everyone knows that, no need to read the newspapers, which have been occurring for months of negative news into a source of discouragement. But some works to see the positive side, though the arguments are not always convinced. For some, the crisis is an opportunity, individually, perhaps, if you have money to buy a house now, as collectively we can accomplish a change in our growth model.
A few weeks ago, David Marsh published in a financial website Market Watch article that was enough said and began recalling the words of Richard Nixon in 1962 when he told a group of journalists who would miss him when you leave the presidency: "You will not Have Nixon to kick around any more "(Since you can not continue abusing / blaming Nixon).
The idea Marsh's article is that, deep down, the crisis has provided a buffer of guilt: if something goes wrong, is by the crisis and unless you look at the blunders of Bush. And besides, the crisis may serve to change and improve society in some respects: abandoning greed and thinking more "green." This idea is shared by another article, Kurt Andersen, who appeared in late March in Time magazine that was titled " The End of Excess: is the crisis, good for America? "(The end of the excesses: is the crisis good for America?), which shows how the crisis can be a historic turning point to end the period of expansion experienced in recent years. Because Andersen believes that the spirit of the 1980s did not end and lasted for ninety years until 2008, believes that Americans were coming to what has happened, but looked the other way and maybe the crisis will serve to Americans abandoned the spirit of cricket and resume the character of the ant. Expected to reduce greed and more investment in the social.
Meanwhile, Marsh said the crisis has helped the bank tellers better serve us, but believes that if we overcome the crisis, the smiles disappear. Beneficial effects of the crisis, Marsh highlights the falling prices, it's time to buy certain things. And indeed, now housing is more affordable and there are discounts in supermarkets and clothing stores as well as appliance stores. Of course, buying a home required that the individual has some savings, a secure job and pass the examination of the bank for a mortgage. Many of those affected by the crisis can not think of buying a home or are unable to afford the mortgage they already had ... Furthermore, I argue that although prices were artificially inflated and should be adjusted, a general fall in prices would not help us continuing to medium to long term to none.
One of the most criticized Marsh's article is in setting out the health benefits that the crisis is having: people walk more to save on transport and eat less, so the crisis helps to combat obesity. What worries me is that the argument does not notice that people have spent less on food, true, but sales have increased fast food and high caloric intake ... and save on fuel is good for almost everyone except oil and for countries whose economies are dependent on black gold, which leads me to believe that eventually may also adversely affect us all, because if anything has become clear with the crisis is that the butterfly effect theory is more valid than and that never happens to a company in Hong Kong can influence that Mr. Lopez has to close his business in Zamora ...
Marsh believes that the abandonment of the greed that many expect as a result of the crisis will be temporary. But Andersen is probably right in his article ("you pressed the button 'reset'") and is a good time to rethink the model of growth and effect change. Andersen does not recommend abstinence but moderation. And he believes that some habits can endure.
The problem of the crisis is that for many families has been hit very hard and will cost quite recover, especially those with fewer resources or to those with all their members out of work (in Spain there are 1,068,400 households in this situation). The other day I was in the vicinity and two ladies who were sitting in front of me were discussing the misfortunes of a third. The conversation turned to focus on the crisis (because, as I said, now everything is on the crisis and is spoken of not only the media but also in the bar or on the market). And one of them declared: "If there ever crisis ... the crisis of the poor."
The fall of the "fourth estate"
By Fernando Mexia - Economics , Journalism , headline - 23/03/2009
The economic crisis has its most visible face unemployment. All sectors are affected by the cut of templates, from finance to the automotive world, from construction to tourism, a list of casualties which is not lacking, of course, journalism. The figures are appalling. In Spain , for example, 16 percent of these professionals looking for work and more than 2,000 reporters have been fired since it was unleashed credit cancer. In the U.S. 30,000 "pens" were left on the street in 2008 and things are not looking good for this year given that staff cuts are on the agenda. The Tribune group (holder of headers as the LA Times, Chicago Tribune and many others), CNN, Conde Nast (magazines like Vanity Fair, Vogue) or Time, to name a few, have become detached from their teams to overcome evil economic drink. The thing is evil everywhere, the press would be less right? But under this "squad" of journalists behind range side effects that go beyond the reduction of the pages of a newspaper: the crisis is undermining the ability of media to fulfill their watchdog role of politicians, is torpedoing the waterline of the "fourth estate".
In the U.S., a country of reference in investigative journalism, the reporters low popularity (high wages) has led several writers begin to worry about health coverage that is made of the management authorities .
James Rainey of the LA Times pointed in that direction in his column of March 20 .
"Newspapers continue, to some extent, with its historic role to lead and shape the political debate 
but they have slashed their workforce, to menundo losing its most experienced reporters (and the higher salary), due to the awful recession and the flight of Internet advertising, "said Rainey, who several political consultants said that the effect the crisis is leaving notes and in the quality of information reporters who manage to authorities.
The first visible result is that parties are using the arrival on the scene of laborers inexperienced information to "sell" propaganda as news content that would previously have paid to see them published on paper.
A little picture that looks like the conditions in which Woodward and Bernstein worked to uncover the scandal Watergate in The Washington Post in 1972. It is questionable whether today any means is able to devote many resources to investigate a similar case This is worrying, as well as sad. "Imagine you drive by the 5 (U.S. interstate highway). There used to be a couple of patrol police to keep people under control. Now they are gone and everyone knows it. This can desenvocar quickly in a situation like 'Mad Max' (classic apocalyptic film about a society which was ruled by the law of the jungle), "said Chris Lehane, a veteran Democratic consultant, who did not hesitate to describe journalists as the law enforcement policy that ensure because the leaders do not get drunk on power.
Undoubtedly, the high fevers that journalism suffers because of the crisis may have other reading and being the beginning of a change-for many inevitably from paper to web. At the forefront of this transition is the Seattle Post-Intelligencer, one of the largest U.S. state newspapers that on March 17 began closing its physical release and concentrated his efforts to inform Internet users.
The network is undoubtedly a world of communication posibiliades, usually a sea of news, which suffers from lack of credibility in many cases. Internet is also a refuge for prestigious firms, which can keep writing about what happens around even after being fired, but without the support of a media group that can protect your work when you have a burning issue at hand. The web is still a disaster where each drawer make war on their own, where the reporter is exposed in the first person to the elements. 
It is not the same as The Washington Post published a corruption case or to do a blogger on its Web site certainly is not. Could you open a new 'Watergate' and support research from a blog? In the future perhaps today I doubt it.
The economic dark period has revealed the weakness of the means to comply strictly with their social role, insufficient resources in the traditional press and to charge too much responsibility on the shoulders of the burgeoning blogs.
Conclusions that are on the same page that the latest report from the Pew Project for Excellence in Journalism about the state of journalism in the U.S. in 2008. Interesting study show that the funding problems of the media, the decline of research on the political and the shift to internet, both from the large media groups and, above all, by journalists in their personal capacity.
The love of journalism that "Watergate" will enjoy in a few weeks of "State of Play", a film in which Russell Crowe retrieves the image of street reporter of "old dog" who asks questions uncomfortable and unable to modernize their methods . Crowe is investigating an incident involving a senator who will take you to uncover a story that could not imagine. I recommend it.
The social gap in Internet networks
By Fernando Mexia - Partner , Peregrine world , society , technology - 16/02/2009
Pilgrim World, by John Berga. Follow her blog here
Any network or a union?
Full Monty Unemployed rehearsing her "striptease" in an employment office. Today, they would not. Hang a video on Youtube and look for a micropayment system for those who would like to see the final scene. Beyond my irony, this idea might seem ridiculous not seem so outlandish to the flowering of the increasingly popular social networking sites.
Accumulate information and data that indicate that the crisis has been bad news for social networks that are as surprisingly increases the number of users. A sign that something is changing in the habits of social behavior, not simply that we have less time available to meet in person.
Even financial professionals, always reluctant to mix with ordinary mortals begin to arrive, in the midst of financial uncertainty seem to be preparing for what may come, if only by "friends" in the network.
So much enthusiasm that there is already talk of new business models and entrepreneurs kitchens are ordered new business ideas . The crisis has given to networks which other sectors are losing: potential customers.
Look at some guidelines. The unemployed, even if they are at home, not isolated. Have turned their stress in a broad dialogue with others like them. A dialogue that falls outside of unions, associations, government agencies or offices of employment and takes place entirely in social networks (like Facebook or similar).
Long before we know if it is a moving background. Institutional, traditional meeting places, but that does not suffer discredit overrides the will of the people to socialize. The unemployed surfing and networking, change their behaviors. Some reports say as, for example, reducing emails and their replacement by interactive conversations Well for 2.0!
There are also clues on how they are expected to get jobs in this crisis by co-option . The offers do not appear in public, or in the press, or almost anywhere. Are social networks, acquaintances, which passed by way of gossip this or that possibility.
For some time the ability to generate networks is a symbol of quality integration in the market today is probably an element of security. Woe to him who has no network! A new dimension of digital divide is upon us.
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By N2H