[Old Professer]

This story is just another in a long line of stories written to elicit sympathy, empathy and identification from the reader, where the writer begins his story with a character, real or composite and then builds his case around that character's circumstance; I have been looking for a fitting term for such style and am about ready to settle on, "exemplar exploitation."

To my way of thinking, such writing is lazy, demeaning both to the writer and his hapless reader and good only as filler for unsold ad space.

[69ConvertibleFirebird]

I agree with that. I believe that these articles are also attempts at swaying public opinion into believing that the economy is bad and "you're the next one to get laid off" - it's Bush's fault!!!

[Malesherbes]

Good comment. I believe some journalists (e.g. Mike Barnickle, formerly of the Boston Globe) have been caught making up such "exemplary" tales about imaginary characters. Notwithstanding, there is a reality out there that is pinching hard on many people who find themselves competing with younger, cheaper, and often foreign workers.