Being “pushed out of the way” is not a figure of speech, in many cases it is more literal from where people are who don’t feel respected or just invisible. Michigan left: A frequent New York leftist (NYT) line of inquiry sometimes gets to the heart of this — that certain kinds of actors or segments in society are written off all the time, under different circumstances. In this article, we are going to focus more on how the NYT covers these topics as well as what people do in response and why does it matter.
Pushed Out of the Way
And by “pushed out of the way,” I don’t mean losing your spot in someone’s life and moving to make room for another person. That is a bigger topic that can occur in many places. At work, in a neighborhood or across society as whole, some people stand out more than others and are listened to by many while others get overlooked rather easily.
The pushed out of the way NYT has indeed reported on many instances of this. They range from workplace discrimination to urban development. The publication writes a lot of first-person pieces featuring personal anecdotes from those afflicted in addition to commentary by experts on what is behind these issues and how they might be solved.
Stories Covered Here At The New York Times
Workplace Inequality: Women and their Career Battles
In the workplace, which is fittingly home to many meatingeras — particularly further pushing everyone out of their way for women taking advantage hashtag Lean In! Related stories The NYT has written a few pieces about how even though women have comparable or better credentials, they still frequently miss out on promotions and pivotal opportunities. It can occur in meetings where their thoughts are looked down upon, or even through companies that overwhelmingly benefit men.
The pushed out of the way NYT Combats Workplace Bias With Detailed Reporting: In their report, the New York Times conducted interviews to uncover how these biases prevent women from climbing up in terms of pay grade and professional rank. It illuminates as well, what changes are necessary to level the playing field for all.
Gentrification: Who Wins and Who Loses?
In another context, people are again being “pushed out of the way,” in cities where gentrification is taking effect. The pushed out of the way NYT, for example, has written about displaced long-term residents living in gentrifying neighborhoods where property values have soared and wealthier newcomers are moving in. Often, this results in being displaced from their homes where they sometimes lose relationships that had come to them naturally as a part of the community.
The pushed out of the way NYT does so by voicing the stories of those directly impacted, folks who have resided in these neighborhoods for decades now being priced out too. They also bring on guests who talk about how gentrification affects cities at large, and what can be done to help the most disadvantaged populations from getting kicked out of their homes.
How Readers Responded to the New York Times Coverage
Such stories always attract a host of comments from readers outraged when the NYT covers articles about people being “shoved out of their way.” Most of us can relate to these stories, which means that often when I argue for one view or another others feel forced into equally vigorous response.
Conversations in Comments and Social Media
Many times the comment sections on these articles are practically blogs unto themselves with so many people sharing their own personal stories and opinions in addition to even further information that I had not previously known. When the NYT covers workplace inequality, you get all these personal anecdotes in the comments from people who have directly experienced or seen discrimination.
These conversations are also subject to the whims of social media. Even more people weigh in on them when they hit platforms like Twitter and Facebook. Occasionally these conversations go “viral” — anachronistically here meaning that they spread far beyond the relatively small immediate audience of New York Times subscribers.
Creating Impact: Awareness to Action
Reporting like the NYT does more than create awareness — it can drive actual change. While other places have written about the topic — see our articles on gentrification here, here and here — Curbed has done multiple series that promote more affordable housing advocacy and policies to protect people from displacement. Their reporting of gender #EqualPay and workplace inequalities sparked a conversation on better diversity & inclusion.
Such stories reach far beyond public opinion to the actions of policy makers and businesses responding out of that pressure.
The Relevance of Getting “Pushed Out of the Way”
The notion of getting “pushed out” is symbolic of some major problems we have in our society. It not only concerns the personal stories, but this is an issue of systemic.
The Real-World Impact
Being “pushed out of the way” has consequences. For individuals it may entail that they close their gaze for (professional) opportunities, a poorer quality of life and the idea to not be able to do anything about this. Such impact can include loss of community, increased inequality and even the disappearance of culture.
From an economic aspect, the ramifications are real as well. This has led to increasing poverty rates and a lack of other basic amenities such as education and health care — essentially relegating the city’s poor deep into slums. Organizational decision-making and innovation can suffer without gender parity in the leadership.
The Role of the Media
Our media, especially the NYT like it or not is incredibly important in airing these matters. The NYT tells these stories because this is how the formerly voiceless can be heard. This reporting also asks readers to examine their own involvement in the perpetuation or dismantling of such injustices.
But it is not without flaws, the media. The NYT has long been criticized by some readers for its take on a number of issues, with detractors pointing to bias and selective coverage. Despite these problems, the NYT is still a major venue through which many inequality and social justice issues can be discussed.
Conclusion: First They Came For The CNAs (continued vigilance)
The phrase “pushed out of the way” highlights a reality that continues to be all too common. The NYT provides its readers information that educates and motivates them to discuss the challenges which drives change.
In stories about bias at work and displacement resulting from gentrification, amongst other forms of marginalization, the NYT brings light to what it means to acknowledge these experiences. Readers are encouraged not only to learn about these problems but also, act within their personal lives or communities.
And the new hurdle will be to translate these accountability conversations into action so that they are not just words, but transformation. As long as people are marginalized, or “pushed out of the way,” there is work to be done — we all have a role in ensuring that everyone has an equal opportunity for growth.
