Kanell, Atlanta economics reporter, is retiring

Michael Kanell, senior economics reporter at The Atlanta Journal-Constitution for nearly 30 years, is retiring.

He has been reporting on jobs, housing and the economy. In that role, he has appeared on television and radio talk shows and panel discussions to analyze and report on the region’s business and economic developments.

Scott Trubey, the economy and environment editor at the Journal-Constitution, wrote:

Before I joined the AJC, I was a reader and fan of Michael E. Kanell. That byline exuded authority. Michael makes heavy economic matters not only easy to read, but also fun. After joining the AJC, I learned that this journalist whom I had admired from afar was also one hell of a good person, husband, father and colleague. Generous of his knowledge and time, from interns to seasoned veterans. But Michael is also a jack-of-all-trades reporter. He can cover any story and elevate it with his gifts. Atlanta and the AJC will miss him. And so will his team.

Before coming to Atlanta, he covered business and technology for newspapers in Boston and around New England.

During the 1980s, he reported from Central America, writing about civil wars and revolutions in Guatemala, El Salvador and Nicaragua, the refugee crisis in southern Mexico and the status of Cuba, after a quarter-century of revolution and isolation. He is the co-author of “Presimetrics: What the Facts Tell Us About How the Presidents Measure Up On the Issues We Care About,” a data-driven comparison of the performance of American presidents since World War II.

He has a bachelor’s degree in history from Princeton University and a juris doctor degree from Boston University.