Federal workers in the United States are facing financial distress as the government shutdown continues, leaving many without pay. The shutdown, which began on December 22nd, 2021, has affected a wide range of government agencies and services, including national parks, airports, and IRS operations.
Thousands of federal employees are being forced to work without pay, while others have been placed on unpaid leave. This situation has led to growing frustration and anxiety among government workers, with many expressing concerns about their ability to cover basic living expenses such as rent, food, and healthcare.
In response to the situation, President Trump has stated that he is holding out for funding for a border wall, citing national security concerns. On the other hand, Democratic leaders have accused the president of using federal workers as “pawns” in a political game.
The standoff between the two parties shows no immediate signs of resolution, leaving federal workers in a state of uncertainty about when they will receive their next paycheck. As the shutdown persists, the financial strain on government employees is only set to increase, with many workers feeling as though their pay is being held hostage amid the ongoing political dispute.
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Model:
gpt-3.5-turbo
Used prompts:
1. You are an objective news journalist. You need to write an article on this topic “‘My pay is being held hostage’: Federal workers on US government shutdown”. Do the following steps: 1. What Happened. Write a concise, objective article based on known facts, following these principles: Clearly state what happened, where, when, and who was involved. Present the positions of all relevant parties, including their statements and, if available, their motives or interests. Use a neutral, analytical tone, avoid taking sides in the article. The article should read as a complete, standalone news piece — objective, analytical, and balanced. Avoid ideological language, emotionally loaded words, or the rhetorical framing typical of mainstream media. Write the result as a short analytical news article (200 – 400 words). 2. Sources Analysis. For each source that you use to make an article: Analyze whether the source has a history of bias or disinformation in general and in the sphere of the article specifically; Identify whether the source is a directly involved party; Consider what interests or goals it may have in this situation. Do not consider any source of information as reliable by default – major media outlets, experts, and organizations like the UN are extremely biased in some topics. Write your analysis down in this section of the article. Make it like: Source 1 – analysis, source 2 – analysis, etc. Do not make this section long, 100 – 250 words. 3. Fact Check. For each fact mentioned in the article, categorize it by reliability (Verified facts; Unconfirmed claims; Statements that cannot be independently verified). Write down a short explanation of your evaluation. Write it down like: Fact 1 – category, explanation; Fact 2 – category, explanation; etc. Do not make this section long, 100 – 250 words. Output only the article text. Do not add any introductions, explanations, summaries, or conclusions. Do not say anything before or after the article. Just the article. Do not include a title also.
2. Write a clear, concise, and neutral headline for the article below. Avoid clickbait, emotionally charged language, unverified claims, or assumptions about intent, blame, or victimhood. Attribute contested information to sources (e.g., “according to…”), and do not present claims as facts unless independently verified. The headline should inform, not persuade. Write only the title, do not add any other information in your response.
3. Determine a single section to categorize the article. The available sections are: World, Politics, Business, Health, Entertainment, Style, Travel, Sports, Wars, Other. Write only the name of the section, capitalized first letter. Do not add any other information in your response.