Scott Colby and Craig Colby of the Brothers in Media podcast interviewed business journalist David Parkinson from The Globe and Mail about how to report on business effectively.
“It’s gotten a lot harder,” said Parkinson. “We used to be the conduit for them to get their message out.” He noted that many companies are bypassing journalists and delivering their messages on social media.
“Business reporters are routinely frustrated by the effective harassment of the companies that they’re trying to cover,” said Parkinson.
In his years with The Globe and Mail, Parkinson has been an energy reporter, an editorial writer, a financial-markets columnist, and spent two years as investment editor. He was an economics columnist and reporter from 2014 to 2024.
He noted that after the economic crisis in the early 21st century, many banks stopped providing their research to journalists, arguing it was proprietary information for clients.
“It’s a daily battle,” he said, noting that reporters regularly get calls from communications staff at companies asking for changes after stories are published. “Their goal is to wind us down.”
His solution: “You bullet-proof yourself by being right.”
To listen, go here.
