Last week's metro section article

I logged on today to see if there was a discussion about this article from last week's metro section profiling a family living in Broadlands.

I was really surprised to see the negative comments about the Ashburn area made on the post online - since moving here this past fall everyone we've met has been incredibly kind. I never saw myself as a suburban dweller but if I have to live in the suburbs I think this is a nice place to be.

Thoughts?

 

While I did not agree with all the posted comments, I did not think they were all that bad.

If a family is going to talk to a reporter like that, they have to realize that the reporter will be using their story for the paper's agenda.


The way the reporter wrote the article, it did make them seem a bit vapid. Not knowing the family personally, I can't opine the accuracy of the article.

I hope this will serve as a good warning about talking to reporters.

I don't think this article will dissuade anyone from moving to Broadlands.


Yes Broadlands is a nice community
Yes we have residents in Broadlands who have chosen to live beyond their means
Yes there are parents (in and out of Broadlands) who exercise poor financial judgment

And yes, even some of the Broadlands residents make jokes about Stepford Wives.

I don’t think the article will have that much influence. As for the comments, who would form their opinion based on anonymous comments on a blog?

 

Agreed. Not looking to base my opinion nor am I particularly worried about outsiders judging this community based upon what people say while they are empowered by the anonymity of the internet but was just surprised. I'm not from this area originally and didn't know much about Ashburn etc before we moved here and was just surprised.

Ha - for as much of an internet message board geek that I am I guess I was super naieve about this one. Commenters? Harsh? Online? Never!!!! ;-)

 

I expressed my opinion fully on another msg board, but in a nutshell, I think the article could give a skewed sense of reality as to how the recession actually affects our 'hood. not everyone just has to settle for mani no pedi, or frozen not fresh shrimp- people have been laid off and are months from losing their homes.

on the flip side, some of us live within our means, save money, and are not struggling because we don't spend every penny that comes into the account- not because we are "putting on airs" and pretending there's not a problem.

not doing everything their friends do doesn't TRAUMATIZE an 8 yr old, keeping up with the Joneses traumatizes materialistic adults.

and lastly- a change is a change, regardless of the level. a person used to driving a ferrari will consider stepping down to a BMW a blow. so while the article DID tend to paint them in a spoiled, pampered, materialistic, overspending light- they ARE making cuts that are tough for THEM. i doubt the family realized the reader perception of the info they gave the reporter...:eww:

but the article probably achieved WAY more than it expected- I would imagine they got a record number of hits and comments as a result, raising the viewership of their website.

 

I don't thing the story says anything about the community, just the ones living in it.

 

I have met the people profiled. I sent a pm to the mom, and she said that they were told that there would be other families in the article as well, that things they said were taken out of context, or if they didn't finish a sentence or comment, it was finished for them. She is very upset as to how this all turned out.

I also read the article online and the vitriolic comments were just amazing!

She is also a member of this Forum...so please keep it tampered down a tad.

 

People need to recognize the wisdom of "no comment" when dealing with reporters.

 

I don't see what the big deal is. I would think that this family's story would hit home with more people than a profile of a miserly family who is enjoying the comfort of their financial security during an economic downturn. Besides, that would be boring. Everyone is free to choose how to spend/not spend their own money.

It’s just another useless article from the Washington Post. In case you missed it the first time, here is the trap by the reporter to catch her prey:

http://www.broadlandshoa.org/hoaforum/showthread.php?t=14471

 

that's horrible.

 

If a person complains about their finances there's always someone with even less who thinks the complainer is spoiled already. You just can't win.

 

I read the article in the Post and never thought it put the family or the community in a poor light. I think they are representative of many families who had a good income and didn't expect hardship to come their way. The whole nation is guilty of overspending and undersaving. The stepford wives thing - this can be said of many suburban communities, not just Broadlands. Why take offense when there is some truth in it.

I didn't look at the online comments, but I would believe that there were ruthless nasty comments made. In fact, in yesterday's Post editorial section one author was commenting on this modern phenomenon - the many varied and often malicious online, anonymous comments on the newspaper's articles. The author looked at all the comments made on particular articles and was astounded by the ridiculous and contradictory viewpoints of people. Bottom line, you can't please everyone and people can be wacky, especially when their name isn't revealed. So you can't sweat it.

 

people can be wacky, agreed. i'm now going to start using that term more often

i didn't think the article put broadlands in a bad light - but goodness those commenters certainly had issues. i dislike rude people . ugh.

 

Agreed.

And I can't feel badly for someone downsizing from a gas guzzling suv to a Honda sedan or choosing frozen shrimp over fresh or let's skip the pedicure this week (for an 8 year old)?, and she's living in an Ashburn "bubble" blah, blah, blah. And, isn't there such a thing as a rough draft to get approved or signed off on prior to an article going to print?

As someone stated in another post - maybe this economy downturn isn't so bad afterall for the population of people with new money having to self adjust their spending, but then to have these same folks talk to reporters? It leaves a bad impression.

 

That would be between the reporter and the editor. Once you talk to a reporter the interviewee has little control over what is published and copy is rarely subject to the approval of the interviewee.

 

You know, after reading the comments, I'd have to agree with most of the remarks. It is a senseless waste of money to live so lavishly for a couple making mid 100's combined.