Author Archives: Laura Hertzfeld

A bailout for African American media?

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The arrest of Henry Louis Gates, Jr. sparked a media storm a few weeks ago, but one prominent Boston African American paper couldn’t cover the story — they were shut down that week due to a lack in funding, PRI reports.

With larger African American magazines like Jet and Ebony struggling to survive in the current economic climate, how will a diversity of opinions on news topics that affect minorities continue if minority-oriented publications go under?

PRI’s Here and Now discusses a group of minority broadcasters who are seeking a temporary bailout, and the risk of missing big stories that affect the community if they aren’t funded.

Are minority-oriented publications necessary for the larger conversation, or are they to face the same fate as so many other newspapers and magazines until they figure out a way to stay relevant in the new economy?

Entertainment on a budget

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For many, the splurges on fancy dinners, trips to exotic locations, and expensive concerts are more and more limited due to the economy. But people still need to have some fun. So what are service providers doing to make entertainment more affordable?

Drive-in movies all but disappeared from the American landscape in the 80’s and 90’s, and a whole generation has missed out on the kitsch culture of the drive-in, experiencing it only through, well, movies and television that featured the drive-in. Could it make a comeback?

Robert Smith reports on NPR’s Morning Edition about cheap thrills at one drive-in theater – but it’s one of the few remaining in use in the U.S.

“My daughters are already asleep in the back seat. But that’s one of the beauties of a cheap thrill. If I had paid the $121 per seat for The Little Mermaid on Broadway, I’d be prying those cute eyes open right now. As it is, I can tilt the seat back and chill.”

In New York City, the ultimate local amusement park of days past was Coney Island, which has fallen into disrepair in recent years. But as WNYC’s Brian Lehrer Show reports, redevelopment plans are gaining support and could bring low-cost entertainment back to Brooklyn.

Another cheap treat is a trend that started a while ago in cities around the U.S. – gourmet cupcakes. As a guest on Marketplace’s Whiteboard video blog, actress Aisha Tyler (of “24”, “CSI”, etc), suggested giving away 9,000 cupcakes to boost the economy.

Tyler’s idea single-handedly takes on the baking industry:

“By going out and spending some $36,000 on cupcakes, Aisha is juicing the economy in a significant way. For a start, whatever bake shop she patronizes will be very happy to have her business: maybe the staff will get a pay rise (they’ll certainly feel more secure with an order like that); maybe the shop will go out and hire some new people. The profits from the sale might go to placing some ads in the local papers (heaven knows they need the cash) or perhaps to refurbish the store or buy some new signage or equipment.”

On a somewhat smaller (but more realistic) scale, a secret cupcake peddler in San Francisco is creating her own cottage industry, making office workers excited for Wednesdays, as Amanda Dyer for KALW reports.

What are some free or cheap things you and your family are choosing over pricey treats in the current economic climate?

Picture this

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The economy is notoriously hard to visualize – how do you take a picture that encapsulates everything that’s going on?

An art movement in New York is trying to make people more aware of the economic crisis, and projects around public media are taking user-generated content into account when talking about the recession.

Enjoy Banking is plastering New York streets (and now cities as far away as Moscow, Russia with stickers that have phrases like “enjoy American dream” and “enjoy bubble burst”.

They are placed in opportune and inopportune spots around the city and have gotten quite a bit of attention as both an art and activist movement.

Last May, the PBS program Art: 21’s Hrag Vartanian did an interview with the prolific street artist, who goes only by the moniker “Enjoy Banking”.

“Hrag Vartanian: Is there something specific, other than the obvious economic meltdown, that triggered the EnjoyBanking campaign?

EnjoyBanking: You are partially correct—the financial meltdown is a direct catalyst for the campaign. However, the true heart of the campaign lies in responding to an underlying cause of the collapse: misinformation. Mainstream media outlets, particularly financial news networks, exacerbated the banks’ many problems with panic-driven fear mongering.”

You can read the rest of his interview here.

Independent film blog POV provided a rundown of projects that are trying to get a grasp of economic coverage using images in a post this week, including the New York Times’ Living with Less series and the NewsHour/Patchwork Nation map.

Have you seen EnjoyBanking’s work in public or do you have a picture of your own that symbolizes the economic crisis? Share your thoughts and suggest links to images.

Fueling confusion

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The government’s Cash for Clunkers plan has dominated headlines this week – working so well in some places that dealerships have run out of cars.

Nightly Business Report’s Xchange blog details how the program is working so far, and which members of Congress are voicing their support to extend it.

“Today, Senators Diane Feinstein (D-California) and Susan Collins (R-Maine) announced their support for extending the program. Despite earlier concerns, they are happy with how consumers are using the program, particularly the increase in the number of fuel efficient vehicles purchased.”

But some senators are skeptical, Capitol News Connection reports:

Sen. Claire McCaskill (D-MO) said she worries any new spending will further burden taxpayers.

“Most of the folks who are buying cars with this program would have probably bought a car. Maybe not today or tomorrow or next week, but probably in the next 18 months,” McCaskill said. “What does that say for demand next year, when this recovery needs to be sustained? Aren’t we just robbing Peter to pay Paul?”

KCRW’s “Which Way LA” spoke with California car dealers who are hoping Cash for Clunkers funding continues.

And for a car-related (and gas-saving) fun fact of the day, NewsHour’s Paul Solman finds out why different makes of cars have the fuel doors on different sides.

Economic Naturalist author Robert Frank explains:

“Putting fuel filler doors on different sides of different cars thus means that some cars can access pumps from the left. And this makes it less likely that drivers will have to wait in line for gas. That benefit greatly outweighs the cost of occasionally pulling up to the wrong side of the pump in a rental car.”