How a Reuters reporter understands where the news lies

Leika Kihara, a long-time Reuters economic policy correspondent in Japan, talked about her work covering the Bank of Japan and Japan’s economic policy.

Here is an excerpt:

How have you developed such a rich coverage file?

It is about making use of the day-to-day reporting. Covering economic news differs from covering something like war or a big natural disaster in that many events are timed and pre-scheduled. This means that you need to be prepared to understand where the news lies. I meet with my sources for casual chats and cover the regular spot news, mindful that there is always something in those conversations, small hints and clues. If you piece them together and if you think there is something brewing, it can lead to exclusives, insights or analysis pieces. Only through experience did I learn and cultivate all my skills as a reporter covering macroeconomic policy.

What is something we might not know about your work?

When you look at my file, you would think that my day is predominantly meeting my BOJ sources and writing stories about the BOJ, but that is only part of what I do. A big chunk of my time is spent managing my team and brainstorming story ideas with them and the broader bureau. This is good because it gives me a broader perspective. I also cover stories about Asia sometimes and travel to international meetings, tagging along with the Japanese delegation.

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