Friedman: Time to give Bartiromo her due

Marketwatch media columnist Jon Friedman writes Wednesday that CNBC anchor Maria Bartiromo has become the best business journalist on television.

Friedman wrote, “Like a lot of people, I watched Bartiromo on TV for years and didn’t bother to look past the sex-kitten references. When viewers look closer, though, they will come to appreciate her straightforward, ‘less-is-more’ broadcasting approach. Forget the image. This is the unusual celebrity journalist who relishes doing nuts-and-bolts reporting — and it’s especially rare at CNBC, where clutter and clamor frequently pass for ‘journalism.’

“All too often, many of CNBC’s stars seem determined to define themselves as personalities, not reporters. Unless they’re discussing a bombshell or a juicy rumor, they can act as if assessing the day’s mundane financial news is somehow beneath them. This is unfortunate because stock-market junkies hunger for hard information, not happy talk.”

Later, Friedman noted, “Bartiromo still has room for improvement. I wish she could be a little tougher with CEOs during interviews. Her natural respect for powerful executives — and possibly her access to business tycoons — sometimes seems to prevent her from taking them to task.”

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