The legacy of Alan Abelson’s life

John Kostrzewa, the business editor of the Providence Journal, writes about the biggest legacy that Barron’s columnist Alan Abelson leaves the world of financial journalism.

Kostrzewa writes, “But in reading his obituary, here’s what caught my eye. He grew up in Queens and studied chemistry and English at City College of New York before earning a master’s degree in creative writing from the University of Iowa.

“He started as a copy boy at the New York Journal American in 1949 and became a reporter on the financial desk. He served as a stock market columnist before joining Barron’s in 1956 and was named managing editor in 1965. For years, he also wrote the influential Up & Down Wall Street column.

“The point is that Abelson had a well-rounded education and learned his beat and craft in slow, steady steps over decades. That’s in contrast to many of today’s financial bloggers who have a lot to say with little knowledge and experience to back it up. Abelson got it right, got it fast and got it all. That’s his legacy and all of us can learn from it.”

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