Fairness and Accuracy in Media posts a mini-critique of a few items covered by the media each week. Here is the latest edition:
Blast from the Past. At Daily Kos on this date in 2011—Poverty threshold rises, but more people are poor, in new Census measure:
In response to longstanding criticism of how the poverty level is calculated, the Census has produced a new, unofficial supplemental poverty measure (PDF). The new measure raises the poverty threshold, yet finds more Americans living in poverty: Under the official poverty threshold, 46.2 million people are poor, while under the supplemental measure, the number is 49.1 million.
The Census Bureau's alternative measure includes many more factors in calculating poverty. The official measure is a set dollar amount for a given family size, and doesn't take into account regional variations in cost of living, government programs to help the poor, medical expenses and more—things that may make it easier or harder to make ends meet on the $22,113 that was the 2010 official poverty threshold.
These changes have different effects for different demographic groups.
Tweet of the Day
On
today's Kagro in the Morning show:
Greg Dworkin brought us his morning roundup. Libertarian types finally show up on Day 18 of 21 to say Ebola quarantines have been politically motivated. The election really wasn't about Obamacare. Did Mark Warner "woo the wrong voters?" The unnoticed progressive victory of Dan Malloy. And some questions answered about Ebola blood testing.
Armando discusses
Shaun King's incredible #pointergate story. Not everything about putting cameras on cops is all that good. Mystery Google barges shut down over safety concerns. Speculation on White House post-election strategy hits the Star Trek barrier.
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