Categories: OLD Media Moves

How WSJ’s Mattioli broke the Precision Castparts deal story

Dana Mattioli

Dana Mattioli, a mergers and acquisitions reporter for The Wall Street Journal in New York, talks about how she broke the story of Berkshire Hathaway’s 2015 agreement to acquire Precision Castparts, the largest such deal in Warren Buffett’s storied career.

Mattioli said she first heard about the deal on her way to her best friend’s wedding rehearsal.

“I have my friends pull over so I can get out of the car and call my editor, and we immediately start planning,” said Mattioli. “Obviously, the timing isn’t great.”

Mattioli and her editor, Dana Cimilluca, begin calling sources in an attempt to confirm the deal. “We don’t want to get scooped,” says Mattioli. “By the time we’re at the rehearsal dinner, my phone is dangerously low on battery. The only power outlet is in the women’s bathroom, so I lock myself in there.”

By the next morning, Mattioli is with the bridal party getting ready for the wedding when she gets a call from a source.

“He confirms the deal and adds, ‘Your bunny has a good nose,’ which is an inside joke on Wall Street,” said Mattioli. “So I call my editor to get everything ready to go, and he has to park his kids at a fast food play area just so that we can publish as soon as possible.”

The story was posted on the Journal’s website on Saturday afternoon and ran on the front page Monday. “By the way, it was a really beautiful wedding,” he said.

To listen to Mattioli, go here.

Chris Roush

Chris Roush was the dean of the School of Communications at Quinnipiac University in Hamden, Connecticut. He was previously Walter E. Hussman Sr. Distinguished Professor in business journalism at UNC-Chapel Hill. He is a former business journalist for Bloomberg News, Businessweek, The Atlanta Journal-Constitution, The Tampa Tribune and the Sarasota Herald-Tribune. He is the author of the leading business reporting textbook "Show me the Money: Writing Business and Economics Stories for Mass Communication" and "Thinking Things Over," a biography of former Wall Street Journal editor Vermont Royster.

Recent Posts

Dynamo hires former Business Insider executive editor Harrington

Former Business Insider executive editor Rebecca Harrington has been hired by Dynamo to be its…

1 day ago

Bloomberg TV hires Kerubo as desk producer

Bloomberg Television has hired Brenda Kerubo as a desk producer in London. She will be covering Europe's…

1 day ago

Jittery CNBC staff reassured by new boss

In a meeting at CNBC headquarters Thursday afternoon, incoming boss Mark Lazarus presented a bullish…

1 day ago

Making business news accessible to a wider audience

Ritika Gupta, the BBC's North American business correspondent, was interviewed by Global Woman magazine about…

1 day ago

Rest of World hires Lo as China reporter

Rest of World has hired Kinling Lo as a China reporter. Lo was previously a…

1 day ago

Bloomberg rises to No. 7 biz news website

Bloomberg News saw strong unique visitor growth to its website in October, passing Fox Business…

1 day ago