Raleigh biz reporter leaving for local tech company

Jonathan Cox, a business reporter at The (Raleigh) News & Observer for the past seven years, is leaving the paper to go work for a local tech company — a beat he once covered.

Business editor Mary Cornatzer wrote to the staff: “He’s joining Lulu.com on Hillsborough Street, a different kind of publishing company, to handle marketing and strategy. I’m sure he’ll be as valued there as he is here.

“From the day he arrived from Bloomberg’s Washington bureau, Jon combined his knowledge of business with his Asheboro raising to deliver stories that spoke with authority while still speaking a language everyone could understand. He has been at home in board rooms and ship yards and that has benefitted our readers greatly.

“In 7 years on the the business desk, Jon has covered some of our most important companies (Cisco, Red Hat, IBM) and our biggest issues (outsourcing, incentives, jobs, the downturn). He’s also had one of the hardest jobs any reporter can ever have: cover your own company. Through it all he has been objective, informative and entertaining.

“The N.C. Press Association has taken notice of his talents with three different years with four different awards for such diverse topics as China, Randy Parton and whining.

“In addition, Jon will be missed for his coffee runs, grumpiness, pumpkin rolls and ability to explain McClatchy’s earnings.”

Let me add that Cox has an MBA, one of the few business journalists with such training, and he was great at coming to speak to my Economics Reporting class about covering the economy.