Why should business journalism be taught?

Mark Anderson of the Ottawa Citizen writes Wednesday about teaching a business journalism course at Algonquin College. It’s a subject, he said, that is probably the least loved — but most useful — on the curriculum.

Anderson wrote, “If my class wasn’t mandatory, it would be sparsely attended indeed. When I ask for a show of hands at the beginning of each semester — ‘Which of you are interested in business?’ — the response is desultory, to say the least.

“There are, however, three very good reasons behind Algonquin’s decision to make business writing a core part of the journalism curriculum. The first, and most obvious, is that business is where the jobs are. There are more outlets, by far, for business writers than any other discipline. There are business sections in each of Canada’s city papers, as well as our two national dailies. There are a half-dozen or more Canadian magazines devoted exclusively to business. There are hundreds of trade publications, the pages of which are filled primarily with business stories.

“Second, business writers tend to be in high demand because they’re exceedingly scarce. In part, the dearth of quality business reporters is a function of the aforementioned lack of interest on the part of J-School students.

“It’s more than that, however. When newspaper section editors are polled and asked to rate their reporting staffs, business writers tend to trail all others in approval ratings. That’s because business writing requires specialized knowledge and skill sets that aren’t required in most other areas.”

Read more here. I don’t think I could have said this any better. All of the same reasons apply to the States as well.