After President Obama’s gone: what the national media missed about Asheville

Photo by Max Cooper

After President Barack Obama’s visit earlier this week, to talk manufacturing and the middle class, an inevitable outpouring of attention from the national media followed.

“The manufacturing turnaround that happened in Asheville is something that President Barack Obama wants to spur in more communities,” Reuters crowed. The New York Times grounded its compliments firmly in its own narrow provincialism, tagging us as “a picturesque town of bookshops and bed-and-breakfasts in the shadow of the Blue Ridge.” The Associated Press asserted that “the Linamar plant has become a symbol of local economic resurgence.”

Fine. Great. Our city has a lot of wonderful achievements, and it’s always good to see them get attention. I doubt anyone opposes well-paying jobs coming here (though the incentives involved are a matter of some debate).

But I’ve been a journalist in this town for seven years, and here’s what never, ever gets mentioned in this sort of story:

The average wage in this county is $97 a week below the state average (or almost $400 a month lower, if you prefer). Housing costs are sky-high: 44 percent of the population can’t afford a fair-rate unit. The metro area is sixth in the country in credit card debt and our economy, despite Linamar, lost 400 manufacturing jobs last year.

And that’s before we get into aging infrastructure, poor housing conditions, lingering segregation and anemic voter turnout.

Picturesque? Sure, the city’s beautiful. But next time Reuters or the AP (or the president, even) come through, they should take Miya Bailey’s suggestion and visit Hillcrest or Pisgah View — just for some balance — before they decide we’re a model.

I’ve harped on these issues before. I revisit them because they aren’t going away, and because they’re an equally important part of Asheville’s story.

It’s natural that a growing city with a burning desire to make its mark craves attention from the rest of the country; I crack a smile myself when I see “Asheville” in a headline for the right reasons.

But these stories matter: the ones we tell ourselves, the ones we’re afraid to tell, and the ones the wider world tells about us. A metropolitan narrative crammed with nothing but glory is false and stifling. All the positive press in the world will not make our city’s very real dark side vanish.

Today’s problems, ignored, are tomorrow’s catastrophes. My hope is that Asheville proves as innovative in tackling these issues as it has in food, culture, and reviving neighborhoods.

My fear is that it won’t, and one day the city so many of us love will only make news as a cautionary tale.

SHARE

Thanks for reading through to the end…

We share your inclination to get the whole story. For the past 25 years, Xpress has been committed to in-depth, balanced reporting about the greater Asheville area. We want everyone to have access to our stories. That’s a big part of why we've never charged for the paper or put up a paywall.

We’re pretty sure that you know journalism faces big challenges these days. Advertising no longer pays the whole cost. Media outlets around the country are asking their readers to chip in. Xpress needs help, too. We hope you’ll consider signing up to be a member of Xpress. For as little as $5 a month — the cost of a craft beer or kombucha — you can help keep local journalism strong. It only takes a moment.

Before you comment

The comments section is here to provide a platform for civil dialogue on the issues we face together as a local community. Xpress is committed to offering this platform for all voices, but when the tone of the discussion gets nasty or strays off topic, we believe many people choose not to participate. Xpress editors are determined to moderate comments to ensure a constructive interchange is maintained. All comments judged not to be in keeping with the spirit of civil discourse will be removed and repeat violators will be banned. See here for our terms of service. Thank you for being part of this effort to promote respectful discussion.

One thought on “After President Obama’s gone: what the national media missed about Asheville

  1. Amanda

    You’ve been here for 7 years and you haven’t figured out Asheville is mostly filled a bunch of posers?

Leave a Reply

To leave a reply you may Login with your Mountain Xpress account, connect socially or enter your name and e-mail. Your e-mail address will not be published. All fields are required.