Categories: OLD Media Moves

We all put our pants on one leg at a time

Michael Diamond, a business writer at the Asbury Park Press, writes about how there’s little difference between business journalists and the people they cover.

Diamond writes, “I always enjoy telling the story of how I became a business reporter without taking a single economics class in elementary school, high school or college. About how I traipsed around for the first, oh, 10 years of my career without any real understanding of what I was doing. About the embarrassing questions I asked — about the difference between sales and profits, about how the bond market works, about how the Small Business Administration calculates its funding. I wish I could have avoided that pain.

“But it turns out, we were all in the same boat. No one had a very good grasp of economics. Not the consumer who signed on for a subprime loan. Not the CEO who signed off on bonuses with one hand and took taxpayer money with the other. Not the elected leaders who got so confused by, say, the financial services industry, they handed legislation over to the companies themselves.

“It continues, by the way, even with the Obama election. I was watching a couple of the Sunday morning shows yesterday and saw Vice President Biden and Rep. John Boehner, R-Ohio, plow through the details of their economic stimulus proposals. Before I could wrap my mind around what they had said, the host was onto the next topic. By the way, just once I’d like to see the host say: ‘I have no idea what you are talking about. Can you explain it again?'”

Read more here.

AddThis Website Tools

Recent Posts

Investor’s Biz Daily hires Mozee as assistant markets editorInvestor’s Biz Daily hires Mozee as assistant markets editor

Investor’s Biz Daily hires Mozee as assistant markets editor

Investor's Business Daily has hired Carla Mozee as assistant markets editor. She has been at Seeking…

3 hours ago
WSJ taps Blunt to cover Alphabet and GoogleWSJ taps Blunt to cover Alphabet and Google

WSJ taps Blunt to cover Alphabet and Google

Wall Street Journal reporter Katherine Blunt is shifting to a new beat covering Google and Alphabet and…

6 hours ago
Mashable, PCMag owner sues OpenAI, alleging stolen contentMashable, PCMag owner sues OpenAI, alleging stolen content

Mashable, PCMag owner sues OpenAI, alleging stolen content

Ziff Davis, the owner of tech publications Mashable and PCMag, is suing OpenAI, alleging it…

6 hours ago
Bloomberg Businessweek seeks in depth editorBloomberg Businessweek seeks in depth editor

Bloomberg Businessweek seeks in depth editor

Bloomberg Businessweek is looking for a creative, experienced and versatile editor to oversee our story…

7 hours ago
Politico is seeing “significant growth” in EuropePolitico is seeing “significant growth” in Europe

Politico is seeing “significant growth” in Europe

Politico is seeing “significant growth” in Europe, said senior executive editor in Europe Kate Day in…

8 hours ago
Mickle to take on Google/Alphabet beat at NY TimesMickle to take on Google/Alphabet beat at NY Times

Mickle to take on Google/Alphabet beat at NY Times

New York Times technology reporter Tripp Mickle is taking on the Google and Alphabet beat at the…

8 hours ago