Commentary
Here’s a thing I like to do on the day of Labor Department data releases. I read the actual release and look at the data and trend lines, then look at the details and see what’s driving the trend. I make a general judgment and write an imaginary headline. Then I check in the top two mainstream newspapers and what they say about the same subject.
Without exception, the judgment is the opposite. It’s been this way for two years. Why? Well, when you look at the Labor Department’s press release, you find enough language in there to justify the headlines, even if the data underneath contradicts it. I conclude from this that these data bureaus have been captured just like everything else in public culture these days….