Julie S. Ratner
10-2-01
Public Issues Reporting: Memo II

It’s almost October 11, and the question our newsroom faces is a tender one – what’s changed, if anything, since the September 11 attacks on the World Trade Center and the Pentagon, what the press at large has deemed the attack on America. I wish I could say that nothing’s changed. Clearly, Americans are feeling the psychological after-effects of what amounts to the largest attack mounted on America and the largest number of Americans dead on American soil, since I believe, the Civil War. But I can’t say that nothing has changed, and in fact, it’s not just the psychological effect that the attacks have had on our nation, but the very fabric of our life that’s been altered in staggering and subtle ways. We are now vulnerable in a land we once thought unassailable, what we once at least subconsciously believed our birthright as Americans. But now, even the very air we breathe seems different, as the threat of biological warfare hangs heavy. Rather than wax melodramatic, I propose as part of a more broad-based package on the one-month anniversary of the attacks, with local pieces on how the attacks have affected the ways people live their lives.

Nesting: Patterns of Consumer Spending

The stories would be part psychological portraits part business and trend-focused. The first reflects changing consumer habits since September 11. I have already talked to many people in the days and weeks since the attacks, as recently as this weekend, from store owners to salon owners to art gallery owners to spa owners to restaurateurs, and in neighborhoods across San Francisco, and indeed in the Bay Area, business is severely down. I think part of that has to do with the fact that people aren’t spending as much in the wake of an economic downturn, especially one made more severe because of the attacks, but much of it also has to do with not only survivor’s guilt, but the impulse to nest among the public at large. For example, both video stores and wine merchants are doing a booming business these days. People who before the attacks and despite the downturn still frequented restaurants and boutiques as well as other luxury purveyors, at least anecdotally, and from the stories store owners and managers, seem to not want to go out. Stores have closed early. Parties have been canceled. Everyone from caterers to valet services to rental places are facing a severe drop-off in business because of the mood. But so are the city’s most popular restaurants. People tend to want to stay home with close friends and family, in the comfort of their homes, rather than venture out for a night on the town. Even for people who religiously get coiffed at the city’s finest salons and spas are opting to scale back their appointments. Attendance is down at museums and gallery shows, or at least it seems to be, but I think it would be easily proven. The taxi companies are also facing a severe decline in business, as are the hotel industries and tourist traps, for obvious reasons – people don’t want to travel because of safety concerns and a deep desire to stay close to their family, but even the locals aren’t using taxis on even the busiest weekend nights, because they’re not going out… It’s a back to basics impulse. Neighborhoods once bustling on Saturdays, like Pacific Heights’ Fillmore Street, are barely a flutter with foot traffic, and even the city’s most coveted cafes and eateries have witnessed a steep drop off – witness the tables available even at 8 p.m. on a Friday night. In pursuing this piece, I would speak to a taxi medallion owner or driver from perhaps Luxor or Veteran’s, as well as several boutique owners (Sarah Shaw of her eponymous boutique or perhaps Heather Frazier of Heather and perhaps the owners of Bulo Shoes in Hayes Valley and perhaps a few stores in the Castro) in different neighborhoods. I would also interview several prominent restaurateurs (like Pascal Rigo of Chez Nous or Craig and Anne Stoll of Delfina) and salon managers (of perhaps Vidal Sassoon or Cowboys and Angels downtown) in the area, as well as the customers themselves. Then I would speak to several psychologists and experts in trauma from UCSF, UC Berkeley or Stanford, to see if this reaction is common in times of crisis, and to examine whether it’s possible that we’ll rebound from this in the near-term and what’s to be expected in the months to come. I would also verify with video storeowners (either of small independents or with managers from Blockbuster or Hollywood Video) and wine merchants (such as the large retailer on Harrison or a smaller store in Laurel Heights) that sales are up, as well as with any other aforementioned businesses (like Bella from LaBelle) that sales are down. I walk the streets enough on the weekends and still check in with my old style contacts (my former beat is still a side hobby) to know that the situation is looking grim in the city’s most venerable – and once most cash happy - shops and restaurants. Also, it would be great to check some spending figures with the muckety mucks in city hall, to get some hard stats to back up the anecdotal data.

Relationship Issues/A Return to Tradition

Another lifestyles piece that I’ve seen covered in bits and pieces that would be interesting to explore is what effects the attacks have had on people’s appreciation of family – or a more traditional notion of American life. Norman Rockwell’s America seems to have taken hold. I don’t mean this flippantly. Newspapers have already covered the fact that people are getting married, either pushing up dates already set or deciding to tie the knot as significant others prepare to ship out… But I also read that divorce rates in the last month have gone down, and in fact in Houston in the last month alone over 400 couples have reversed divorce proceedings in progress. I wonder if that’s the case in the Bay Area, and what the thinking was behind those decisions. Also, along the lines of a recent Sunday New York Times piece, how have singles’ lives been affected? Is the tendency there, as it has seemed among my own set of friends, to realize the value of partnership? As more people in their 20s and 30s put off marriage, have the attacks made people more inclined to seek out a significant other, has it increased the desire to want to find “the one.” Or have the attacks led to more casual sex among people – people seeking out affection or intimacy or connections in a big city? Also in terms of more traditional times, are people seeking solace and comfort not only in one another, but in religion? This question might be better addressed in a separate article or sidebar, but is attendance and involvement in churches, temples and mosques up? To explore these topics is no easy feat, especially because we don’t want to take a few people and make broad generalizations based on their life choices. But done thoughtfully, I think it would be interesting to see social patterns and explore the reasons behind them in relation to the attacks. We need to speak to several couples who are getting married or have gotten married in recent days, because of the attacks and in the face of U.S. retaliation. We also need to scour the public records for couples who decided not to – or at least to put off divorce. I would also find singles willing to go on record, and even talk to some dating services to see if there’s been a spike, either via the web or in person services. Obviously, we need to speak to different churches, temples and mosques as well as religious organizations and leaders in the area as well. We should also speak to psychologists, psychiatrists and social scientists to see if this is a common theme during times of crisis, and to shed light on the human response.

School Preparedness

We spoke a bit about this in class the other day, but again, in terms of the refrain that things are forever changed, I would like to explore the impact of the attacks on schools at least at the K-8 level, but hopefully on the high school and even university level too, though that might be too broad. Are public schools implementing emergency plans? On what are the plans based? Who organizes them and how realistically effective are they? What effect does this have on children? On teens? Are administrators and teachers prepared to handle such a plan? Do we need to set aside extra funds to better prepare our teachers/administrators and students? Is there any way to prepare for terrorism? We need to speak to local teachers and students, parents and administrators, members of the school board and local politicians as well. Again, it would be useful to consult with psychologists versed in dealing with children. It would also be interesting to hear the view of someone well versed in disaster preparedness. Is this feasible? Also, we need to contact someone at the state government level? How committed are they to such a plan? And then of course, someone at the federal level, including people involved in the President’s newly appointed cabinet position for homestead security. Could Tom Ridge’s people comment upon a national plan school disaster preparedness? Would federal funding be far behind? These are all pertinent, pressing issues or stories, timely and illuminating if done with sensitivity and perseverance. I think that they add to our exploration of human issues in the face of inhumane acts, and although some would take more time to explore than others, I think they’re worth writing.