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Language and Phrases For an Economy that Works for All

A comprehensive strategy to influence policies improving the lives of low-wage working families by understanding public perception and using effective messaging.

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Language and Phrases For an Economy that Works for All

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  1. Language and PhrasesFor an Economy that Works for All Mayor’s Committee on Poverty September 7, 2006 www.economythatworks.org

  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

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