1 Language and Phrases For an Economy that Works for All Mayor’s Committee on Poverty September 7,

2 Goals of the Project  To create a comprehensive public education strategy to influence policies to improve the lives of low- wage working families  This requires understanding: How people think and feel about the constellation of issues related to low-wage work, poverty, etc The impact on public thinking of different kinds of stories about low-wage work and workers Which messages best support the policies we recommend

3 Research We Conducted  Meta-analysis of existing opinion research on poverty, low- wage work, mobility and the economy (Meg Bostrom: Achieving the American Dream)  Content analysis of media coverage of low-wage work and workers (Douglas Gould & Co., Between A Rock and A Hard Place)  Focus groups (8) with engaged citizens and one-on-one interviews (20) with community, business and labor leaders (Meg Bostrom, Responsibility & Opportunity)  National opinion survey (Meg Bostrom, Responsible Planning for the Future)

4 Never say “Working Poor”  Working poor is an oxymoron  Public believes that you cannot be poor if you are working  Poverty is seen as a result of bad choices or moral failings  Telling stories about poor people focuses attention on the individual not the system  Focus on the system

5 Language tested in 2004  The Economic System Position issues as structural problems, not cyclical, personal or societal problems  Use these terms: Economic infrastructure Economic engine Economic landscape

6 More on the economy  Economic well-being Not structural, but reminds people of the goal of a strong economy  Not effective “Economic security”  Reminds people jobs are not secure “Drag and lag economy”  Reminds people that growth is stagnant and slow, but does not lead to structural issues

7 Language about jobs  What worked? Thriving job Stagnant job Opportunity job Unpromising work Family friendly work  Flexibility, good benefits, strengthens communities and families

8 Language about jobs  What didn’t work ? Secure jobs Insecure jobs  Suggests life-long employment – unrealistic today Lock-in jobs, lock-in labor  More about security –”locked-in to security” Straitjacket employment  More about strict working codes, not economy Dependency work  Works for some, but others see it as any kind of job that a person depends on

9 More language about jobs  What didn’t work? Rigid jobs  Can be confused with repetitive, boring, government jobs, etc. Opportunity blockers  Brings to mind barriers to opportunity including bad management, government regulations, lack of education, taxes, etc.

10 Language about employers  Grab and go employer Come in for a tax break and send $ outside the community No commitment to the community  Fair work/ fair profits Mixed results Suggests balance, responsibility, dedication and loyalty Sounds utopian to some

11 Language about employers  What didn’t work? Opportunity industry  Sounds like any industry in which there might be an economic opportunity, fad

12 Media Coverage  Analysis of media coverage of low-wage work was done in 2001, at the beginning of this project.  In 2006, we conducted a second analysis to see if coverage had changed since the project began.  That analysis is to be released soon.

13 Where Did That Come From? Dominant News Frames Top Five Leading News Frames in 2001  Government is incompetent (33% of stories)  Between a rock and a hard place (32% of stories)  Can’t climb the economic ladder (17% of stories)  People are falling behind (17% of stories)  Freeloaders, prisoners, and undeserving workers (15%) The top five city papers account for 2/3 of all coverage. Based on analysis of 24 media outlets, 2–8/01, major national daily newspapers, news magazines, NPR, CNN, major TV and wire services

14 Current climate  Public is palpably angry and anxious about the economy, family and children’s futures  Working class community leaders have formed an analysis that government and big business are conspiring to limit their futures Outsourcing Jobless recovery  Upper end people feel the same but are not so anti-business and insure their children’s futures with higher education  See the economy as force of nature and fear intervention

15 What We’re Finding Now  Preliminary findings from the current media analysis shows there has been a shift away from the poverty/sympathy frame to the systemic frame.  Many news stories approach low-wage work issues through health insurance debate.

16 Overall  Prime the conversation with a big “level one” value that works: Responsible planning Opportunity Stewardship Community

17 Overall  Avoid Sympathy Poverty Disparities Class warfare Partisanship