How business reporting helps one understand numbers and markets
Editor Britta Waller of Pace Communications, which produces magazines for companies such as Southwest Airlines and US Airways, writes about how she became facile with understanding markets and numbers. Waller writes, “Most of the editors I know joke about their lack of skill with understanding numbers or even doing simple arithmetic without a calculator. ‘We’re […]
Marketplace explains in a way that people can understand
Lucas Shaw of The Wrap interviewed Deborah Clark, the new executive producer of “Marketplace,” the business show on public radio. Here is an excerpt: What is the first order of business as the new head of editorial? We have a great opportunity right now. What’s been happening in recent weeks in particular with lots of […]
Writing about Wall Street, the person
Tom Reilly, the editor of the Attleboro Sun-Chronicle in Massachusetts, writes about how business journalists often personify what’s going on in the stock market. Reilly writes, “Adding to the public’s confusion about our national fiscal crisis is, I fear, the manner in which the news media is reporting the issue. “And I say this speaking […]
The reporting and writing style of Michael Lewis
In the wake of a story in Vanity Fair by financial journalist Michal Lewis that he argues misses the mark, Felix Salmon of Reuters examines Lewis’s writing and reporting techniques. Salmon writes, “Lewis is the best writer in financial journalism by some large margin, and much of what he does when reporting and writing his […]
Speed vs. accuracy in business reporting
Paren Peterson, the managing editor of the Tacoma News-Tribune, writes Sunday about the desire to be first with a story compared to getting the story right. Petersonw rites, “Their story began, ‘Today the City of Tacoma became among the first municipalities in the U.S. to have its credit rating on debt downgraded by Standard & […]
Leonhardt’s success is due to intellectual curiosity
Andrew Damstedt of American Journalism Review profiles David Leonhardt of the New York Times, the Pulitzer Prize-winning business columnist who is becoming the paper’s Washington bureau chief. Damstedt writes, “Ingrassia says one of the reasons he picked Leonhardt as a columnist was that he wasn’t sure precisely what he was going to get each week. […]
WSJ reporter Schoofs says goodbye
TALKING BIZ NEWS EXCLUSIVE Mark Schoofs, a Wall Street Journal reporter who is leaving the paper for ProPublica, sent a goodbye e-mail to his colleagues Friday that included some excellent writing tips. On Monday, after more than 11 years at The Wall Street Journal, I’ll start a new job. I’ll be a senior editor at […]
Tips on covering the financial crisis
Andrew Gauthier of TV Spy has tips from a handful of local TV newsers on how to cover the current financial crisis. Here are a couple: Keep It Simple “I think keeping it simple and understandable is job one,” says WOIO anchor-reporter Paul Joncich. “Most folks who have stock portfolios have access to much more […]
In praise of librarians helping business journalists
Tim Ferguson, who edits Forbes Asia from New York, writes in praise of his colleague Susan Radlauer, who was recently promoted to director of research services at Forbes. Ferguson writes, “For nearly five years here Sue has been sent chasing many an obscure fact (how many Malaysians have air-conditioning?). Lately she’s helped me find data […]
Biz section celebrates one-year anniversary
Ted Natt Jr. writes Wednesday about the one-year anniversary of a standalone business section in the Southern Pines Pilot, a North Carolina newspaper. Natt writes, “But don’t think for a minute that we’re resting on our laurels. “‘In the future, I’d like to see a little more authoritative analysis of what drives our economy week […]
