(I do not know if we had to format our second story pitches the same way as the ones for our first story. I wrote my pitch without a specific publication in mind.)
Good morning,
My name is William Ma and I’m currently writing a story on how China’s zero-Covid policy leads to the mistreatement of factory workers, especially as the holidays approach.
China’s strict lockdown policies began with Shanghai during the spring of 2022. It severely harmed the local economy and even had global economic impact as one of China’s largest cities. Shanghai has since recovered, but many other Chinese provinces have faced strict lockdowns. This includes Hunan, Guangdong, and now Beijing.
In Hunan, an Apple factory shutdown has led to the halt of iPhone 14 shipments. This is a specific case that has been in the news most prominently, but I plan on looking at why workers are fleeing the factory.
In China, if one person in a public space tests positive for Covid-19 then all other people also in the public space are locked in. People are not allowed to leave until they have tested negative. This led to stampedes of people feeling an IKEA in Shanghai earlier this summer when a boy inside the store tested positive.
The same thing happened last week in Disneyland Shanghai last week. However, I am hoping to cover the effect of lockdowns on factory workers.
Companies in China are allowed to operate in a “closed-loop system.” This means that even if a factory worker tests positive, the factory can continue operations as long as all workers stay in the facility. Earlier this year, Tesla was criticized for their factory workers in Shanghai being made to eat and sleep on factory floors.
We often hear of how mistreated and underpaid workers are used to maintain American consumerist demand. Workers are fleeing iPhone factories to avoid being locked in to meet quota demands. Most likely, some factories will keep workers insid their “closed-loop system” to maintain quota demands.
I think this story is of interest as Americans, especially as the holidays are approaching, are more focused on obtaining the latest iPhone or material good without realizing the suffering foreign workers toil to meet demand. This story is essentially a human rights story disguised as a business story.
I plan on interviewing business professors at Baruch College as well as Human Rights Organizations to get the most nuanced story possible, even if I am unable to interview factory workers remotely.
Thank you for your time and please let me know if you have any questions about this story!