media spin on Foxconn and Apple

ABC's Nightline tonight aired, iFactory, its investigation of Foxconn, the primary assembler of Apple electronic products. Mike Daisey, who brought working conditions at Foxconn to light last year, is critical of ABC's effort as he believes it amounted to little more than a guided tour of the facility by company management (see his blog post). Daisey's own observations at the Chinese plant have generated subsequent reportage by the New York Times, as well as that by ABC, among other news services. He is currently starring in his off-Broadway show, "The Agony and Ecstasy of Steve Jobs".

the iEconomy

Yesterday's New York Times has an informative article on how Apple jobs came to leave the U.S. for Asia.   How U.S Lost Out on iPhone Work by Duhigg and Bradsher is slated as the first in the series, The iEconomy.

The second article in the series, In China, Human Costs are Built into an iPad, examines various health and safety issues surrounding the production of Apple products in China, including the extent to which Apple is aware of such problems and has taken corrective action.

A related NY Times piece features Dreamwork China, a new documentary giving voice to workers at Foxconn, the major Apple contractor in China.

who makes your iStuff?

This recent This American Life segment looks at the workplace context in which Apple products, such as iPads, iPhones, and Macs, are made. Mike Daisey, storyteller extraordinaire, talks about his findings upon visiting China's biggest electronics manufacturer, Foxconn.