“Job Killers” in the News

Chapter 6investigates one outgrowth of the shift in journalism and politics: the rise of the concept of “job killers.” Conservative politicians have successfully coined the term “job killer” for the laws and policies that impede corporate autonomy and unchecked profit-taking. Ironically, these laws (e.g., minimum wage, health care reform, workplace safety rules) are designed to aid the working class. Yet, the term is often uncritically repeated by journalists. The durability of “job killers” as a public concept speaks to a major failure of the press.