Reuters reporter talks merger scoop

Reuters reported exclusively Monday that American Airlines and US Airways will win EU approval for their $11 billion merger, creating the world’s largest carrier. The report, by senior competition correspondent Foo Yun Chee, was widely cited in the press and American Airlines shares jumped 1.75 percent following the scoop.

In a Reuters Best: Journalist Spotlight Q&A, Yun Chee offers an inside look at how she scored the exclusive news.

Here is an excerpt:

Q. How did you get this exclusive?

A. I monitor numerous mergers even before they reach the stage where they have to apply for antitrust approval because this helps me to understand what possible competition hurdles are ahead for the companies. When I read that the carriers were likely to face tough scrutiny from U.S. antitrust regulators, I sounded out my sources in Brussels for a read-through of the situation for the companies in Europe. Understanding the key issues right from the start was crucial as it demonstrated to my sources that I knew what was going on and ultimately helped me land the scoop.

Q. What types of reporting/sourcing were involved?

A. I read the companies’ reports, other media stories and analyst notes. I also talked to various people involved in the case to build up a picture of how the antitrust process would develop and conclude.

Read more here.