A common sense approach to business reporting

John Ingle, the business editor of the Wichita Falls Times Record News in Wichita Falls, Texas, writes about how he distinguishes his columns from his news stories.

Ingle writes, “I have earned an extensive and distinguished fellowship from the School of Hard Knocks. I’ve survived two events in life that some say are financially crippling: divorce and bankruptcy.

“In both instances I came out better than I was. My bride now is definitely an upgrade, and while I’m by no means wealthy or even well-off, I’m not screening phone calls to ward off people looking to get paid.

“Life, it seems, is just like business. Or is business an offshoot of everyday life?

“Some mergers work, some don’t and both sides walk away. Some companies file for bankruptcy protection to ‘restructure’ their finances.

“I’m not an economist, a financial analyst or business guru. I’m just a regular Joe trying to keep people informed about the business world in Wichita Falls and even try to apply some real-life, common-sensical approaches along the way.

“This is the only place where you will see my opinion on topics, not in the news articles I write on the business/metro beat. Like other beats in the newsroom, I rely on experts for information and explanations of what’s going on in the business world in Wichita Falls.”

Read more here.