How Andy Serwer got into biz journalism in B-school

Andy Serwer, the editor in chief of Yahoo Finance, talked with the Goizueta School of Business at Emory University about how he got attracted to business journalism while studying there for his MBA.

A story on its website states, “‘The thing that I liked best was reading the Wall Street Journal, on the steps of the business school in the sunshine,’ he said. ‘I liked the stories of the takeovers in the 1980s, the dealmakers and the junk bond kings. I was sort of drawn into journalism and business while at Goizueta.’

“‘There weren’t really any formal parts of the Goizueta MBA program that stressed journalism or storytelling at that time,’ said Serwer, who earned degrees from Bowdoin College, Emory University and Columbia University’s Graduate School of Journalism. ‘In fact, why would there be?’

“That kick-started a career that’s led Serwer to some of the most well-known names in business and journalism.

“Serwer became a long-form writer with Fortune magazine where he profiled high-profile CEOs like Bill Gates, Larry Ellison and John Chambers. That position was a natural progression for the more experienced writers, a departure from today’s industry, which rewards shorter, punchier writing, Serwer said.”

Read more here.