Always ask the dumb question
David Carr of the New York Times writes for Monday’s paper that there were a few business journalists, like Alex Blumberg and Adam Davidson of public radio, asking the dumb question of why banks were lending money to people who couldn’t repay the loans before the market crashed. Carr writes, Blumberg “decided to do the story […]
Bureau of Economic Analysis to offer biz journalists help on data
The Bureau of Economic Analysis is releasing economic data for more than 350 metropolitan areas on Thursday, and it’s going to provide help to business journalists in deciphering those numbers. The data will show the size of a city’s economy, learn whether it’s growing or declining and what industries are driving it as the BEA […]
Glued to CNBC
Andrew Edgecliffe-Johnson of the Financial Times writes Tuesday about CNBC’s recent coverage of the economic upheaval in the States. Edgecliffe-Johnson writes, “In an age when online bloggers are supposed to have increasing sway over the news agenda, the credit crisis has instead seen Wall Street and City traders and executives glued to cable television. “A […]
NYTimes expands online tech and economics coverage
The New York Times announced Tuesday a major expansion of its online technology and economics coverage, and a new blog covering business and the environment. In addition, in the coming months, NYTimes.com will also expand the Small Business, Personal Technology and Your Money sections; introduce more journalists; deepen coverage within its DealBook franchise; and continue […]
Economy dominates media coverage
The Project for Excellence in Journalism notes that the economy was the dominant issue covered in the general media during the past week. Mark Jurkowitz writes, “Although it accounted for nearly half the campaign newshole, the focus on the economy practically came out of the blue. While the nation’s fiscal health has been shaky for […]
Covering banks during a time of financial crisis
The Society of American Business Editors and Writers will hold a conference call Wednesday at noon EST for reporters on covering banks and the banking industry during the current economic upheaval. The panelists on the call will be Drew DeSilver, banking and public companies reporter at the Seattle Times; Bernie Kohn, investigations editor at the Baltimore […]
Nightmare on Wall Street
Bruce Newman of the San Jose Mercury News critiques Wednesday the coverage on CNBC and Fox Business Network of the Wall Street turmoil. Newman writes, “There is a kind of circularity to the news cycle on financial channels. When CNBC credited itself with a scoop about private sector funds being ‘off the table’ as part […]
Ledbetter: Media has failed in covering the economy
James Ledbetter, the editor of Slate’s Big Money site, writes in introducing the new venture that one of the reasons it’s being started is that other media haven’t done a good job in covering the economy. Ledbetter writes, “Yet trying to follow the economy via traditional media can be confusing. In too many news stories, […]
Explaining what the Fannie/Freddie bailout means to readers
The Deal executive editor Yvette Kantrow writes about how the business media performed in explaining the implications of the federal government’s bailout of lenders Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac to average readers. Kantrow writes, “For its sheer lack of pretense, we sort of liked New York magazine’s Intel blog’s approach to the story. It produced […]
Energy policy debated at SABEW conference
Steve Everly and Karen Dillon of the Kansas City Star write Tuesday about how experts debated the nation’s energy policy at the fall Society of American Business Editors and Writers conference. Everly and Dillon write, “But Secretary of Agriculture Ed Schafer found some flaws in Pickens’ plan. “For example, Schafer questioned whether it was wise […]
