Hon Hai

Apple in China: The New York Times goes for the Pulitzer

January 26, 2012: 7:20 AM ET

Its investigative series about how our electronic gadgets are made could be a contender

Aftermath of an explosion at an iPad factory in Chengdu, China

When monologist Mike Daisey flew to China to find out why the workers who assemble electronic devices for Apple (AAPL)  -- and every other major U.S. manufacturer -- were jumping from the roofs of their factory-city dormitories, he was shocked to discover that most of the American reporters writing about the suicides had never visited the plants or talked to any of the workers. (See A harsh light on Apple's supply chain.)

Well that's changed. A few months ago, the New York Times assigned a team of reporters led by Charles Duhigg, Keith Bradsher and David Barboza to investigate the hundreds of Chinese companies that make our iPads and iPhones -- starting with Foxconn, the world's largest manufacturer of electronics components.

The first story in the series, How the U.S. Lost Out on iPhone Work, described an ecosystem of interlocking Asian component suppliers so vast, responsive and eager for the work that it was clear by the end that, as Steve Jobs reportedly told President Obama at a dinner last year, "Those jobs aren't coming back" to America.

The second piece in the series -- In China, Human Costs Are Built Into an iPad, published today -- makes it clear that Americans wouldn't want those jobs. It starts with the story of one Chinese worker fatally burned when an iPad polishing factory exploded last May and doesn't stop until it has explored every available report of unsafe or onerous working conditions in Apple's supply chain. Although it gives the company credit for trying to do something about it -- establishing a code of conduct, performing inspections, issuing annual compliance reports -- it quotes former and current Apple employees who question the company's commitment.

"We've had this conversation hundreds of times," a former executive in Apple's supplier responsibility group told the Times. "There is a genuine, companywide commitment to the code of conduct. But taking it to the next level and creating real change conflicts with secrecy and business goals, and so there's only so far we can go."

It's the kind of reporting that wins the New York Times Pulitzers year after year. But one of the things the prize committee looks for in a series like this is evidence that it's had an impact. That something has really changed.

That's going to be tough.

Featured Newsletters

Every morning, discover the companies, deals and trends in tech that are moving markets and making headlines.

Receive Fortune's newsletter on all the deals that matter, from Wall Street to Sand Hill Road. SUBSCRIBE

Covering the digital giants of Silicon Valley and beyond, an in-depth look at enterprise companies, and the startups disrupting them. Written by Michal Lev-Ram and emailed twice weekly.

Anne Fisher answers career-related questions and offers helpful advice for business professionals.

Company Price Change % Change
Bank of America Corp... 7.95 -0.16 -1.97%
Intel Corp 26.73 -0.43 -1.58%
Microsoft Corp 31.27 -0.17 -0.54%
Ford Motor Co 12.28 -0.25 -2.00%
General Electric Co 19.39 0.17 0.88%
Data as of Feb 22
Index Last Change % Change
Dow 12,938.67 -27.02 -0.21%
Nasdaq 2,933.17 -15.40 -0.52%
S&P 500 1,357.66 -4.55 -0.33%
Treasuries 2.00 -0.04 -1.96%
Data as of 6:26am ET
Most Popular
White House pushes online privacy bill of rights
 
AT&T CEO pay docked $2 million for T-Mobile debacle
 
Consumer Privacy Bill of Rights
 
PC slump kills HP and Dell's bottom lines
 
Christie to Buffett: Shut up and pay up
 
Market indexes are shown in real time, except for the DJIA, which is delayed by two minutes. All times are ET. Disclaimer LIBOR Warning: Neither BBA Enterprises Limited, nor the BBA LIBOR Contributor Banks, nor Reuters, can be held liable for any irregularity or inaccuracy of BBA LIBOR. Disclaimer. Morningstar: © 2012 Morningstar, Inc. All Rights Reserved. Disclaimer The Dow Jones IndexesSM are proprietary to and distributed by Dow Jones & Company, Inc. and have been licensed for use. All content of the Dow Jones IndexesSM © 2012 is proprietary to Dow Jones & Company, Inc. Chicago Mercantile Association. The market data is the property of Chicago Mercantile Exchange Inc. and its licensors. All rights reserved. FactSet Research Systems Inc. 2012. All rights reserved. Most stock quote data provided by BATS.
Powered by WordPress.com VIP.