Numbers games aren't as fun as they sound

I reviewed the article entitled "Unemployment rate hits record high" from the Athens Banner-Herald. As far as news judgment is concerned, I believe that this was a very good story to publish. I believe that it covers all the news values. It has impact because it affects the whole nation, proximity because it also affects the Athens area, and timeliness because of all the recent budget cuts and economic woes. It also has prominence because people are struggling for jobs, conflict because people don't know how to lower unemployment rates, currency because staying employed is on everyone's minds, and novelty because this is a striking statistic. However, reporters and editors must always be cautious when writing articles concerning statistics and lots of numbers.

I feel as though the lead is extremely effective. It cites the Department of Labor as the source of information and explains that the new unemployment rate - 8.1% - is extremely high and shocking. My concerns about this story, however, are in the rest of the information. In the nut graph, the reporter states that March 1983 was the last time the unemployment rate in the state of Georgia was just as high. The reporter, though, doesn't state why it was that high in March 1983. What significant event happened at that time that could mirror the current situation? I feel as though the reader needs more insight into the history of the state employment rate.

Also, in the graph, the reporter mentions the "seasonally adjusted unemployment rate." Maybe it's just me, but I'm not really all that sure what a seasonally adjusted unemployment rate is. Should I know what it is? Am I just making it more complicated than what it really is? Is it what the unemployment rate is after everyone employed from the holidays was laid off? Editors and writers should take this kind of thing into consideration when presenting complex information concerning unemployment rates, GDP, etc.

Also, the article does mention towards the end the impact on the local Athens area. However, it only covers manufacturing and health care jobs. What about other jobs? Are other areas not firing many people as well? I feel like in this article there is definitely much to be desired. The story is less than 200 words and seems like it might have been typed up as soon as the newsroom got word of the information. Where are the sources in the article? Why weren't people interviewed? The reporter should have asked residents of the Athens area how they felt about the statistics or talked to local residents who had been laid of from their jobs. The reporter could have also talked to local officials that deal with the county budget to see how these kind of things are effecting the area or to state officials in order to hear what they have to say on the issue and the state as a whole. I'm not sure if the reporter and editor intended for the article to be as short and brief as it is, but if I were the editor, I would have held the story until more information was available and sources were contacted. I think it would have at least been beneficial to wait until the unemployment rate for the Athens metro area was available.

Another article published in the Athens Banner-Herald entitled "UGA may lose jobs in 2010" emphasizes more of the local aspect of the unemployment issue (local lens) which makes up slightly for the lack of local information in the other article.

Brittany Binowski