What Would We Do Without Our Winters?
Scripps News recently published an editorial in response to a NY Times' article touting Buffalo as the Silicon Valley of debt collectors (call centers). The Times' article likens the booming workforce to our former industrial steel mill era. But alas, the editorial by Dale McFeatters adds that a major reason for the call center success (not mentioned in Ken Belson’s article for some reason) is the city's rotten weather. If that was the case, then don’t you think that Belson would have reported it? From the editorial:
"The collection agencies tell Belson (NY Times reporter) that Buffalonians have a strong work ethic and evenhanded temperament, in spite of all they've been through. They also bear loyalty to their employers and, perhaps because of what they've been through, an empathy with the people they're trying to collect from. Belson doesn't come right out and say so, but because the weather is so rotten they also have a strong appreciation for indoor work."
Dale McFeatters must have a lot of friends who work outside. I have friends all over the country and none of them work outside. They all work at jobs that require them to show up at indoor office environments. Is that so strange?
And when I was listening to the Buffalo State College WBNY 91.3 All-Talk Monday radio program, the conversation turned to another New York Times' article. The hosts of the show mentioned that The Times had reported that Buffalo was one of the top three cities when it comes to sales of Easter egg dyes. You would think that would be a good thing... how could you spin that into a Buffalo weather-related topic? The frustrated hosts of the talk show discussed how The Times had reported that the reason Buffalo has an affinity for Easter eggs is its deep yearning for spring weather. In other words, the sales are a direct correlation to Buffalo being a cold, wintry city. The Nielson Report that The Times had gotten its hands on, also listed Cincinnati being a step ahead of Buffalo in dye sales... and I don't think that Cincinnati is known for its cold winters. Maybe Buffalo is a bigger religious community than The Times thought? But it's easier to assume that cold weather triggers Easter egg dye sales. At least they didn't conclude that Easter dye sales were directly correlated to the Bills' losses because eggs are shaped like footballs and Buffalonians are still obsessed with Super Bowl losses.
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Comment Options
tinker
The New York Times is a joke. They have lost all journalistic integrity and credibility. These articles are based on the journalist's perception of Buffalo, instead of facts or real experiences. Typical for the New York Times.
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tinker
The New York Times is a joke. They have lost all journalistic integrity and credibility. These articles are based on the journalist's perception of Buffalo, instead of facts or real experiences. Typical for the New York Times.
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tinker
The New York Times is a joke. They have lost all journalistic integrity and credibility. These articles are based on the journalist's perception of Buffalo, instead of facts or real experiences. Typical for the New York Times.
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MikeS
I'd have to say, we totally feed into this by letting it appear on our radars. Who cares what they say. Us getting upset or even posting a story here just shows that it gets our goat. This is an old habbit. Old habbits die hard....and this should be one of them. When a sportscaster says are chicken wings are junk and we send them 10lbs of them...it just makes us look like fools.
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PaulBuffalo
R.W. Apple of the New York Times wrote a glowing account of Buffalo when he visited a few years before his death. There have been other positive articles of Buffalo in the New York Times, too. Unfortunately, most critics of the Times are not daily readers and aren't aware of these other articles.
Stereotypes, both positive and negative, are difficult to change. I lived in New York City for years and crime was reduced substantially, but there is still a perception among tourists that NYC is dangerous. I live in LosAngeles and the stereotype is one of shallow people only interested in their looks. Buffalonians believe that they are some of the friendliest people in the country. (This, too, is a stereotype, but no one in Buffalo wants to correct that one.)
I think the answer to all this stuff is this website promoting the good things that do happen in Buffalo on a small individual basis. When anyone asks me about Buffalo now, I say read BuffaloRising. The articles reported here wipe any a lot of the negative images and I, for one, am grateful.
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onestarmartin
well said PaulBuffalo. As to the weather I blame our own local news stations for making Buffalo seem like Siberia, everytime there is even a hint of a storm they are off and running with updates and warnings, yet we look out the window and...hmmm, nadda. All for ratings I'm sure.
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sbrof
totally agree that our news or horrendous. OMG 5 inches of snow... better run and stock up that pantry... get over it. it snows. Why has the weather taken over 1/3 of al our new time.. I if wanted to walk that much weather I would put on the WEATHER CHANNEL.. weather should be a snipit of at most 5 minutes in a normal news show.
And enough with the little quips about how you wish spring was here or brrrr its cold from the non-weather anchors. LAME... all it does it reinforce in kids that weather is a problem and the only way to solve it is by moving away!
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FromaDistance
I saw that NY Times article and although I only read it once and superficially at that, the "weather" comment can be read another way. The reference was made in the context of comparing Buffalo with Houston and some other hot weather city. My possible interpretation is that the Times comment was that Buffalo's weather was favorable (read: less hot and sticky) than the other places.
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JohnnyWalker
Take time to read the article in the Times. It was a positive article. The negative crack came in a Scrpps News article. NOT THE TIMES.
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reflip
Wait...a positive article about Buffalo? Was it thoroughly vetted and approved by the Buffalo Chapter of the Pravda first? Because nothing positive can be written about Buffalo without deliberate whitewashing and omission of "negative truths!" (See article on Buffalo Freelance Collective).
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AtwaterLouse
reflip - No, the other comment thread you mention didn't say nothing positive can be written about Buffalo without whitewashing.
Some comments said the goal of seeking positive stories about some particular topic (Buffalo, for example, but could be anything) and to work on writing the stories in as positive a light as possible toward the topic sounds like promotional writing or PR rather than journalism. That's very different from saying a journalist would never encounter and write anything positive about said topic.
If you have a broader definition of journalism, fine. You're not alone in that. Use the word how you want. Some comments you're apparently bitter about, za's and mine, even said positive things about the collaborative's goals.
People might see the point better if the topic wasn't something to which they're emotionally attached. Suppose you heard of a writers group collaborating on positive stories about Microsoft products, or positive stories about the dairy industry, or positive stories about life in Phoenix. If they clearly say their intent is very positive stories about such a topic (as both BR articles about the Buffalo group said) - truthfully but explicitly positive and no mention of balance, then some would consider that promotional writing not journalism. Regardless of whether you agree with that, it should be clear it's not at all saying it's impossible for a journalist to ever write positively about any of those topics without whitewashing.
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davvid
This is strange reaction to a positive article. We should be a bit skeptical when blogs and talk-radio shows start bashing on the NYtimes. Usually(maybe not in this case w/ Scripps News) the criticism comes from bitter conservatives that see the times as liberal and elitist.
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jamesbflo
its kinda like saying amanda overmeyer got kicked off American Idol last week because she sang a song with 'USSR' in the title and lost the older generations vote, who were raised to to associate that word with evil.
off topic, why in the world doesnt buffalo promote itself to southeners who've never experienced snow to come up for a snowy weekend getaway. Dawned on me while watching a youtube video of a woman who flew up for 1 day just to throw snowballs.
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reflip
AtL,
That's fair. And I understand the objections raised. I just they're overreactions. My objection to those comments was basically along the lines of, "Let's see what they write before we judge them to be a propaganda machine." Nowhere in the article did it say they are going to spin negatives into positives or even spin negative stories into as positive a light as possible. It just said they are going to promote positive stories. There is a difference. One involves reporting truthfully, the other does not. If positive stories exist for the finding, then I trust they'll find them and write them. I don't have a problem with that I don't think it compromises their journalistic integrity. If they do what you and 'za suggest, they will cross a line somewhere I'm sure. But that doesn't seem to be their mission, so lets see what they produce before we assume they will.
I care little for journalism as a discipline and I don't think there is a tremendous amount of integrity to be found in an industry that brainwashes us into believing they're reporting "the truth" where no such thing exists. (What's "the truth" about Buffalo, exactly? It is not all negative, not all positive. Nor is it in the middle. Rather, it is a series of small events, people and places that comprise the whole. How we perceive these things is the truth to us.) My main concern is for good writing and I hope that the group produces some. To clarify, good writing and propaganda are mutually exclusive, in my mind. Propaganda is intellectually dishonest. I believe the freelance writers collective can avoid that trap and I will give them the benefit of the doubt for now.
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Littleflick
And what about that last NY Times article about the dozens of Buffalonians that got killed from bad weather? Oh wait, that was Missouri from the floods. No, wait, it was Florida from the hurricanes. Oops, it was about Tornado Alley.
We should be commended for living in an area where the weather isn't likely to kill us. Instead, we get made fun of, and Floridians get large insurance checks to rebuild homes on the water after a hurricane comes through.
And speaking of Florida (and Phoenix, and Atlanta, and "insert Southern city here"), don't they spend half the year inside where the air conditioning is? How come their call center employees suck?
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RisingDamp666
Another one of those. If the Times is so concerned with the welfare of poor weather-stricken Buffalo, then maybe they should enlarge their "Fresh Air Fund" and send the entire city to Miami for a weekend...so they could unleash their Style columnists on "Sabres hats and satin baseball jackets". The victimization never ends with that miserable tabloid Daily out of Hell's Kitchen.
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gaustad
"The victimization never ends with that miserable tabloid Daily out of Hell's Kitchen."
Perefectly said....People downstate HATE Buffalo! That is one of the reasons why they suck us dry and kick us around like a rat.
The weather here precedes itself.....I used to stick up for the Buffalo by saying, "oh, its not that bad."
Lets face it, Buffalo has a great community, but the winters here SUUUUUCK!!!!
And don't compare our winters to the one hurrincane/ yr or tornado in Florida or the midwest. We get pounded on with precipitaion, every day.
Around this time of year everyone starts talking funny. Winter just keeps draggin out. There are not 4 seasons here. We live in rain and darkness for 6 months.....you have to be tough to live here, no doubt about it.
Its hard to dispute the climate digs.
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Marti
You'd be surprised at how many people are moving back to Buffalo because they MISS the weather. I have a dozen real stories by real people who state just this. There are even people who have moved here from other places BECAUSE of the weather -- an Argentinian couple moved here from TX because they prefer the weather here and love the sense of community.
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ArkoWillie
When I first told my elderly uncle we were moving to Buffalo his reaction was quick----"What? They have the worst weather in the world!" But then again, he also thinks that women should never be placed in supervisory positions. In fact, there are MANY places in the continental US with worse weather, including Houston where I went to school, and where the humidity is often so oppressive as to make the place almost uninhabitable without AC. Yes the winters are cold, but what the hell----it's winter! Buffalo is at its lovliest with some fresh snow on the ground. It's the "springs" that suck. The best time to get away for some sun is late March through April. But who knows----if global warming continues, we may get nice springs yet . . .
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onestarmartin
littleflick: I can't speak for Florida or Phoenix, but as an ex Atlantian, we did not spend half the year indoors in airconditioning. I actually spent more time outdoors than I do here. For everything I love about Buffalo, winter does kinda suck. Marti: I agree with you that many people move here for the weather and sense of community, unfortunatly I have seen 8 of the 10 people I know who moved for that reason leave again due to the economy.
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