Life as a business editor in a small city

TALKING BIZ NEWS EXCLUSIVE

The decisions and issues facing a business editor in a smaller city are much different than, say, the business editor of The New York Times.

For Ron Bartizek, the business editor at the Wilkes-Barre Times Leader, the biggest issue is sometimes finding a reporter willing to take on a business story — there is no full-time business desk filled with reporters at the Pennsylvania paper, which has a daily circulation of about 36,000 and a Sunday circulation of about 50,000.

Bartizek has spent more than 30 years in journalism, and has been at the Times Leader since 2000. He has been the business editor since 2005.

Before that, he was editor and publisher of two weekly papers in Pennsylvania.

Bartizek spoke by e-mail with Talking Biz News about the issues facing a business editor in a smaller market. What follows is an edited transcript.

1. How big is your business news staff in Wilkes-Barre?

There isn’t a truly dedicated business writer. The one who is considered the primary business writer is a very good investigative reporter with long experience in crime, courts etc. and he is frequently drawn into those stories. Otherwise, we spread stories around. One other reporter tends to do more business than others, but anyone — including interns — may write a new business feature. I contribute as time allows, which is less than I’d like.

2. How does that affect what business news stories you cover on a daily basis?

It’s hard to devote even a full day to a single story, so we tend to do short features or react to daily events, such as plant closings, new business announcements, unemployment rates, etc.

3. What types of stories do you like to focus on — company coverage or more economics coverage — and why?

None of us really are competent to write about high-level economics, and we don’t think readers expect that of us. So we try to cover the local scene and business people.

4. How do you see your role in covering business news different than what the big dailies in Pittsburgh and Philadelphia are doing?

Those papers, especially Philly, often take a statewide approach. We’re strictly local, pretty much limited to our county of 300,000+ population.

5. You also write a weekend column. How does that fit into your coverage scheme?

I try to vary content, and if we do any economics-type writing it’s here. Other times I’ll write about a business and its owner that might otherwise have been a feature, or about hot-button issues like shale gas drilling.

6. Do you think being an owner of a paper in the past affects how the Times Leader covers business?

Owning a small business for more than a decade makes me attuned to that segment. I’d like to think it provides insight into what questions reporters should ask. The more time I spend watching how businesses work, the more I respect people whose own skin is in the game as opposed to careerist managers who often conduct themselves like politicians.

7. What types of stories would you like to see covered more frequently or in depth by the paper?

I’d like to do a better job putting a local, human face on national issues such as unemployment. Also explaining the effect of decisions made in Washington and on Wall Street through the eyes of local business owners.

8. How has your coverage changed since the economic crisis that began in 2008?

This area has a large number of local and regional banks, so we’ve tried to stay in touch with them and help readers understand they’re different from Goldman, Citi, etc.
Of course, we always ask sources how the economic climate affects them, particularly regarding employment. We pay more attention to housing and real estate.

9. What stories do you leave to the wires?

Pretty much all national and international economic stuff. I also look for good features that can be used in our Sunday section, where we have more space.

10. What business news stories do you think papers such as the Times Leader do a better job of covering than the bigger media?

I think we can respond quickly to stresses and opportunities at the local level, which often reflect what’s going on nationally. And we try to write “good news” as well as bad, because both are important.

11. What would you like to improve about your business coverage?

More local investigative and in-depth local economy coverage and more consumer-focused stories. I’d also like more time to plan layouts that pack diverse information in limited space.