ABC offers glimpse at 'Nightline' special 'iFactory: Inside Apple'

Posted:
in General Discussion edited January 2014


ABC has offered a preview of its forthcoming special "iFactory: Inside Apple," which will offer an examination of the working conditions inside the factories of Apple partner Foxconn.



The peek inside Foxconn's factories, where devices like the iPhone and iPad are built, will air as part of a special episode of the news program Nightline Tuesday night. To promote the program, ABC has released a minute-and-a-half preview of the special.



Reporter Bill Weir was on location at Foxconn's mega-plant in Chengdu, China, reporting on the company that assembles components not only for Apple, but a number of other electronics makers as well. But it's Apple, which is now worth more than Microsoft and Google combined, that has come under fire recently for its partnership with Foxconn.



In particular, a story from The New York Times suggested that Apple has ignored alleged labor abuses at Foxconn because the current system is favorable to the company. Those claims prompted Apple Chief Executive Tim Cook to send an e-mail to employees declaring the anonymous criticisms to be "patently false."



In ABC's video preview (included below), Weir revealed that it was Apple itself who invited Nightline to take a closer look inside its supply chain and Foxconn's facilities.



"We will show you how your iPad, your iPhone, your MacBook is made, and we will meet the people who made them," he said. "We'll show you how these folks come on buses, sometimes for days, to travel to the Foxconn gates, desperate for a chance to wipe a screen or solder a chip for 10 hours a day at less than $1.50 an hour."



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The special will also feature an interview with a "top Foxconn executive," in which Weir asks about employee suicides at the company's facilities. It will also feature details on Apple's independent audit of its supply chain by the Fair Labor Association.



"It's a fascinating look into a hidden corner of our world," Weir said.



That the special is airing on ABC is noteworthy because the broadcast network is owned by Disney, and Disney Chief Executive Bob Iger serves on Apple's board of directors. In addition, the late Steve Jobs was the largest individual shareholder of Disney, and those shares are now controlled by his family.



Nightline's "iFactory: Inside Apple" will air Tuesday, Feb. 21 at 11:35 p.m. Eastern and Pacific time on ABC.



[ View article on AppleInsider ]

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Comments

  • Reply 1 of 67
    MacProMacPro Posts: 19,718member
    If the video doesn't play (it didn't for me) here is the link



    http://abcnews.go.com/International/...5#.T0JZwlFNxc8
  • Reply 2 of 67
    gatorguygatorguy Posts: 24,176member
    From the related article at 9to5Mac:



    Full disclosure: Disney Corporation owns the ABC News network. The fact that the Steve Jobs Trust is Disney?s largest individual shareholder, coupled with Disney CEO Bob Iger now having a seat on Apple?s board of directors, certainly helped win the official approval from Apple. It also raises questions on a possible conflict of interest with this report.
  • Reply 3 of 67
    I can see the response now. If it's an even account or perhaps favorable to Apple, the dirty pro-union libs and/or anti-Apple zealots will write it off as a biased piece concocted by a news organization whose parent company is in bed with Cupertino. And if it's a scathing attack that forever mars the way the world looks at iProducts, it's an honest assessment of the bloodthirsty machine designed by that money hungry tyrant Steve Jobs.
  • Reply 4 of 67
    Can't be seen on the iPad, as usual. Time to fire up the iMac.



    Will someone at apple please get flash working on iOS? It's been long enough.
  • Reply 5 of 67
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by Obama View Post


    Can't be seen on the iPad, as usual. Time to fire up the iMac.



    Will someone at apple please get flash working on iOS? It's been long enough.



    It's not Apple



    http://www.zdnet.com/blog/perlow/exc...-updated/19226
  • Reply 6 of 67
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by Obama View Post


    Will someone at apple please get flash working on iOS? It's been long enough.



    Ha! Ha ha, ha! Ha, ha ha ha, ha! Ha, ha, hoh? hoh-hoh-hoh?



    That's a good mid-morning joke.
  • Reply 7 of 67
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by Obama View Post


    Can't be seen on the iPad, as usual. Time to fire up the iMac.



    Will someone at apple please get flash working on iOS? It's been long enough.



    Adobe has stopped Flash for the embedded space, or have you forgotten? They've conceded it's foobar'd and will only focus on Flash for the desktop. Current flash player for the smartphone market is now in bug fix only mode.



    http://blogs.adobe.com/conversations...ash-focus.html
  • Reply 8 of 67
    gtrgtr Posts: 3,231member
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by Obama View Post


    Can't be seen on the iPad, as usual. Time to fire up the iMac.



    Will someone at apple please get flash working on iOS? It's been long enough.



  • Reply 9 of 67
    ABC airs a non damning documentary on Foxconn: conflict of interest and lies



    NBC airs a non damning documentary on Foxconn: lies



    BBC airs a non damning documentary on Foxconn: foreign lies



    CBC airs a non damning documentary on Foxconn: communist lies



    Some loud mouthed hyperbole laden dude with a microphone and a Sony camcorder airs a scathing report on his blog about the slave sweatshops run by the Illuminati managed Foxconn, secretly owned by Apple: the absolute and unquestionable truth
  • Reply 10 of 67
    irelandireland Posts: 17,798member
    Great to see Apple tackle this problem head-on.
  • Reply 11 of 67
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by Obama View Post


    Can't be seen on the iPad, as usual. Time to fire up the iMac.



    Will someone at apple please get flash working on iOS? It's been long enough.



    It seems you have as much intelligence and spin as the person you hope to imitate! Adobe is abandoning its mobile flash program. How can you possibly blame Apple for it?
  • Reply 12 of 67
    maestro64maestro64 Posts: 5,043member
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by Gatorguy View Post


    From the related article at 9to5Mac:



    Full disclosure: Disney Corporation owns the ABC News network. The fact that the Steve Jobs Trust is Disney’s largest individual shareholder, coupled with Disney CEO Bob Iger now having a seat on Apple’s board of directors, certainly helped win the official approval from Apple. It also raises questions on a possible conflict of interest with this report.



    You always have to wonder, but Disney or ABC can not fake what Foxconn is doing. No doubt that Foxconn made sure they presented the best of the best, which is the way they do things even if there is a person walking around with a camera. Beyond this I can tell you Foxconn would never allow a camera in their factories they will either take any camera you have of make you turn off you cell phone if you have a camera in it and they watch you very closely to make sure you never turn it on or take it out of your pocket. They will tell you it to protect trade secrets, so they fact they even allowed a camera on if amazing. That you can be assure was because apple put pressure on them and you probably right that apple gave the rights to ABC due to the connection, why would they give that right to Fox News.



    Anyway, if you look at the factory it looks no different than any other factory in the world, it actually pretty nice, except those green floors, I can not understand what the Asian like painting things that green color. That alone makes things look very depressing, I wish they would use better more cheerful colors.



    As they showed Foxconn has no issue attracting workers to their facilities, it better than the alternative that is for sure.
  • Reply 13 of 67
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by Gatorguy View Post


    From the related article at 9to5Mac:



    Full disclosure: Disney Corporation owns the ABC News network. The fact that the Steve Jobs Trust is Disney?s largest individual shareholder, coupled with Disney CEO Bob Iger now having a seat on Apple?s board of directors, certainly helped win the official approval from Apple. It also raises questions on a possible conflict of interest with this report.



    i am sure the factory will be immaculate and the workers happy and smiling! no way would apple let them in unless this makes them look like benevolent gods.
  • Reply 14 of 67
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by Obama View Post


    Can't be seen on the iPad, as usual. Time to fire up the iMac.



    Will someone at apple please get flash working on iOS? It's been long enough.



    as a certified Apple Service Snot (ASS) even i say give it a rest. jobs was right: flash needs to die. forget about it.
  • Reply 15 of 67
    williamhwilliamh Posts: 1,032member
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by Obama View Post


    Can't be seen on the iPad, as usual. Time to fire up the iMac.



    Will someone at apple please get flash working on iOS? It's been long enough.



    Hasn't the failure of Flash on mobile platforms been proven well enough? Apple was absolutely right to keep it off of iOS. It's time for websites to stop using it.
  • Reply 16 of 67
    solipsismxsolipsismx Posts: 19,566member
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by Gatorguy View Post


    From the related article at 9to5Mac:



    Full disclosure: Disney Corporation owns the ABC News network. The fact that the Steve Jobs Trust is Disney’s largest individual shareholder, coupled with Disney CEO Bob Iger now having a seat on Apple’s board of directors, certainly helped win the official approval from Apple. It also raises questions on a possible conflict of interest with this report.



    No less a conflict of interest than someone using Apple's success to make a buck.



    Oh yeah: http://forums.appleinsider.com/showt...40#post2050040
  • Reply 17 of 67
    gatorguygatorguy Posts: 24,176member
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by SolipsismX View Post


    No less a conflict of interest than someone using Apple's success to make a buck.



    Oh yeah: http://forums.appleinsider.com/showt...40#post2050040



    Yes, you and 9to5 sound like you're in agreement. You mentioned it first tho. Good observation.
  • Reply 18 of 67
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by Gatorguy View Post


    Yes, you and 9to5 sound like you're in agreement. You mentioned it first tho. Good observation.



    If ABC reports that the conditions are bad ? which I don't think they are for Foxconn compared to the companies they work for or for Chinese factories in general ? the best we'll hear are "Those factories were so bad that even ABC couldn't spin it in Apple's favour." There is no way Apple will win with a certain type of person.
  • Reply 19 of 67
    onhkaonhka Posts: 1,025member
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by AppleInsider View Post


    The special will also feature an interview with a "top Foxconn executive," in which Weir asks about employee suicides at the company's facilities.



    Hopefully, ABC will put it into perspective.

    Quote:

    Out of a million people [FOXCONN employees], 17 suicides [5 years] isn’t much—indeed, American college students kill themselves at four times that rate.



    And perhaps they should do a special on how American students really feel about their education system.

    Quote:

    Nearly 1,100 suicides will occur on college campuses this year. Many more students think about suicide or make a suicide plan. In the past fifty years, the suicide rate for those age 15-24 increased by over 200%. About 12 people aged 15-24 will commit suicide today – that is one about every two hours.



    But maybe just having more than your neighbor just isn't enough.

    Quote:

    In what seems an absurd paradox, new research suggests the happiest countries and the happiest states have the highest suicide rates.



  • Reply 20 of 67
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by island hermit View Post


    Some loud mouthed hyperbole laden dude with a microphone and a Sony camcorder airs a scathing report on his blog about the slave sweatshops run by the Illuminati managed Foxconn, secretly owned by Apple: the absolute and unquestionable truth



    I didn't know James O'Keefe hated Apple.
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