MediaPace : Setting the pace for business-to-business dialogue

Spring Ahead, Fall Back ... to Sleep

Whether a byproduct of World War I to save fuel, a brilliant off-the-wall idea from Benjamin Franklin, or even an attempt to help farmers, Daylight Savings Time (DST) – that magical day when an entire hour simply disappears – isn’t a “wonder of the universe” but simply legislation. 

While some people claim to miss the late-evening light, a presumably similar number of people love the morning brightness. And perhaps it’s just my imagination, but I sure do feel that lost hour of time when the clocks are set ahead/back, though I don’t have a clue where it goes! Getting up and out in the mornings is a bit harder, but walking out of the office into evening sunlight is surely a trade-off.

Wikipedia claims that clock shifts correlate with decreased economic efficiency. “In 2000, the daylight-saving effect implied an estimated one-day loss of $31 billion on U.S. stock exchanges. Clock shifts and DST rule changes have a direct economic cost, since they entail extra work to support remote meetings, computer applications and the like.”

Retailers, sporting goods manufacturers and other businesses benefit from extra afternoon sunlight, as it inspires customers to shop and to participate in outdoor activities. Fortune once estimated that a seven-week extension of DST would yield an additional $30 million for 7-Eleven stores, and the National Golf Foundation estimated the extension would increase golf industry revenues $200-$300 million.

Conversely, DST can adversely affect farmers and others whose hours are set by the sun. For example, grain harvesting is best done after dew evaporates, so when field hands arrive and leave earlier in summer, their labor is less valuable. In Indiana, part of the state observes DST and part does not, because farmers, who must wake with the sun no matter what time their clock says, are greatly inconvenienced by changing their schedule in order to sell crops to those who observe DST.

And Congress can’t seem to resist tinkering with the Uniform Time Act of 1966, which provides the basic framework for alternating between DST and standard time (which we now observe in the U.S.). Their decision to pass a 2007 law starting DST three weeks earlier and ending it one week later cost U.S. companies billions to reset automated equipment; put us further out of sync time-wise with Asia and Africa; and inconvenienced most of the country, all in the name of unproven energy-saving claims.

Whether or not you notice the time change this year, due to convenient automated clocks, DST has surely sprung us into spring. Be sure to check out these cool facts!

Posted by Samantha Sims

Top 10 Reasons Why YOU Should Hire a BPEF Intern in 2008

10) Your competitors have taken BPEF interns in the past … Why let them have all the fun?

9) Your workload is so heavy, you have contemplated sleeping under your desk for the night. BPEF interns can provide that extra brain you need around the office.

8) BPEF interns bring a fresh, young perspective to your business.

7) For the past two decades, nearly all BPEF interns have moved on to full-time positions within American Business Media member companies.

6) You are helping to mold the future of business media and promote your brand by giving a student the opportunity to learn more about the business information industry.

5) You can’t quite figure out how to utilize the latest online video/social networking/blogging applications being released on a daily basis. BPEF interns can fulfill your digital needs.

4) You have an excuse to get out of the office this August and come to the Scarsdale Golf Club to hit the links and network with other professionals, all in the name of charity for BPEF. (Click here for more info)

3) BPEF interns are recruited from among the top tier of business and journalism schools across the country, and truly are the best and brightest.

2) BPEF interns do more than editorial. Their skill sets include marketing, graphic design, video editing, Web production and more.

1) You really are making a difference in a student’s life and career. (And who can resist that warm, fuzzy feeling inside?)

It’s time to face the facts: today’s students are at the forefront of the digital transformation occurring in the world of business information, and American Business Media members have recognized that our future is dependent on this next generation of trained professionals.

Last year, the Business Press Educational Foundation (BPEF) placed 30 students in business media internships, and this year, BPEF is counting on ABM member participation to help make the 2008 program an even bigger success. So request your intern today. And you never know … Your BPEF intern could be your future CEO!

For the 2008 BPEF Intern Request Form, click here.

Posted by Jenna Lisanti