A biz editor: Give voice to the voiceless and hold power accountable

Ben Lanka

Local and business news editor Benjamin Lanka of the Columbus Dispatch talks about his career.

Lanka writes, “More importantly, I covered a mayoral candidate who was eventually indicted for not properly reporting campaign contributions, allowing a Democrat to win the seat in a highly conservative community. He held the seat for multiple terms — proving the importance of every election.

“Upon moving back to central Ohio, I helped lead statewide coverage for many of the state’s smaller daily newspapers and then took over direct control of the Newark Advocate and Marion Star for multiple years. There we examined the fallout of the opioid epidemic and the challenges the pandemic caused across the state.

“This experience drove home the critical importance of local journalism and making sure people are aware of what their local officials are doing and also the good things happening in their communities. I think journalism is at its best when we give voice to the voiceless and hold those in power accountable.”

Read more here.

Chris Roush

Chris Roush was the dean of the School of Communications at Quinnipiac University in Hamden, Connecticut. He was previously Walter E. Hussman Sr. Distinguished Professor in business journalism at UNC-Chapel Hill. He is a former business journalist for Bloomberg News, Businessweek, The Atlanta Journal-Constitution, The Tampa Tribune and the Sarasota Herald-Tribune. He is the author of the leading business reporting textbook "Show me the Money: Writing Business and Economics Stories for Mass Communication" and "Thinking Things Over," a biography of former Wall Street Journal editor Vermont Royster.