"Must-see" biz journalism TV

Dave Kansas, the current president of the Society of American Business Editors and Writers and the Money & Investing editor of The Wall Street Journal, gave what I will politely call an “amusing” interview to Lindsay Campbell on Wallstrip.com about life as a business journalist.

To watch the video, go here. If you don’t have time to watch the whole thing, here are some of the highlights:

Kansas talked about his time at TheStreet.com and why he went back to a newspaper.

“It would be a mistake for anybody working at a newspaper to think they were working for print,” said Kansas. “The Wall Street Journal is trusted for information” and puts that out in all forms of media.

The huge challenge of being a business journalist, said Kansas, is to get inside the corporations that they cover.

When asked about business journalism on the Internet and whether it’s preferable now to start a site that is free or has paid content, Kansas said, “Right now, we’re in a period of growth online where you want to think about being big. Information will be increasing in a way that will be useful to people. I think it’s a scattershot approach.”

His favorite business journalist? Allan Sloan of Newsweek. “He’s not a boring guy,” said Kansas. “He is totally fearless.”

Word association game: “CNN Money.” Kansas: “I have to change the channel when Lou Dobbs comes on.”

“Jim Cramer.” Kansas: “I have to change the channel.”

“Wallstrip.” Kansas: “High quality. It’s kind of an odd name though. Kind of like a comic strip.”