LA Business Journal hires new reporter

Ryan Faughnder has been hired as a reporter for the Los Angeles Business Journal, reports Richard Horgan of Fishbowl LA.

Horgan writes, “‘I’ll be covering manufacturing, transportation and trade,’ Faughnder tells FishbowlLA. ‘Meaning I’ll be dealing with the ports on a very regular basis. I’m helping out by contributing other types of stories too, like this one on a struggling local flash-sales website.’

“Faughnder (pictured) heard about the Business Journal job from a friend and former classmate who works there. He thinks the fact that he’d been focused at LAT and Bloomberg on business journalism was definitely a major plus, as was his genuine interest in the beat.

“He cites as mentors while at USC Gabriel Kahn, for helping develop and fine-tune his business-reporting chops, and Alan Mittelstaedt, a faculty advisor for Neon Tommy. When asked which Neon Tommy stories still resonate with him most from his days as executive editor, Faughnder points to a pair of contrasting pieces.

“‘The first was my contribution to our analysis of the California budget crisis,’ he says. ‘I reported on mental health issues related to funding, shelters and philosophies about how we care for people with mental illnesses. I led this project in which we dissected the Jerry Brown budget that year.'”

Read more here.