Friedman likes NBC Tom Costello's work

Marketwatch media columnist Jon Friedman interviewed NBC reporter Tom Costello and remarked on his ability to report factually and only what he knew. Friedman noted that he honed his on-air reporting skills while covering the market for CNBC.

Case in point: On Monday’s “Today” show, Costello initially reported that travelers could carry liquid containers as big as 3 quarts on flights. He then corrected himself and noted the right amount was 3 ounces.

Friedman wrote, “His work caught my eye when he worked for CNBC several years ago. Toiling far from the limelight, he was one of the ‘foot soldiers,’ as I called the network’s financial-markets reporters once in print. They reported on the markets day after day, hour after hour, with little, if any, fanfare.

“The pace can be grueling, too. Costello estimates that he was doing 15 live shots a day back when the Nasdaq market was dominating the news.

“This kind of work is a terrific training ground because it requires a reporter to be correct 100% of the time.

“Invariably, Costello not only got the story right but he kept his composure, even as a stock’s price was plunging or an entire market was seemingly in a freefall. Costello felt a tremendous obligation to his viewers, which is a fine mission for a financial reporter.

“‘The slightest inaccuracy can cost the viewers money,’ Costello mused. ‘It’s as simple as that.'”

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