TALKING BIZ NEWS EXCLUSIVE
Charlotte Observer business editor Patrick Scott sent out the following message to the staff on Tuesday afternoon:
I’m sorry to say that Christina Rexrode is leaving the Observer, but that we are excited for her and her new adventure – covering retail for the Associated Press out of New York City.
Christina’s powerful intellect, passion for public service journalism and determination to provide clear and compelling stories have served us and our readers well for nearly three years.
Christina joined the banking team at the start of 2008 with the intent to ease into the beat through consumer coverage. That lasted two months. Soon, she and Rick Rothacker and others were plunged into a financial crisis that spawned one of the biggest stories in Charlotte’s history, multiple breaking-news packages and scores of front page enterprise pieces. Christina weighed in on everything from shareholders’ fight to block the sale of Wachovia to Wells Fargo to what fewer banks means for consumers, from perks for Bank of America directors and executives to the fall of CEO Ken Lewis.
Before, during and after the meltdown, Christina has churned out exclusives, tackled complex subjects, given voice to the common person and held power to account, all while gaining an increasingly sophisticated understanding of the financial sector and the Charlotte economy. She has always been hungry for the scoop, devoted to accuracy and impressively versatile.
In her most recent work, she brought to light just how deeply dependent the city is on banking and the unspoken tension between bankers and ethics in this city built on faith and finance. She also parachuted into freezing Denver for a quick-turn, fascinating story on what Charlotte can learn about hosting a Democratic National Convention.
We saw the talent in Christina when she worked as a UNC intern on the Business desk in the summer of 2004. She left the St. Pete Times for Charlotte at the end of 2007. She will be leaving Charlotte for New York next month. If you are interested in covering the most important sector in Charlotte’s economy, let me know by March 16.
DISCLOSURE: Rexrode is one of my former students.
