Business Journalism Leaps into Virtual Reality
By Gil Shefler October 13, 2016
Virtual reality journalism is rapidly emerging. According to some estimates, the market will be worth $4 billion and capture over 150 million viewers by 2018. Of all the potential areas of coverage, business journalism probably presents the biggest challenge. We offer some tips for beginners and an inside look at how some publications are tackling the new medium.
Trading Your Pen For Podcasting
By Gil Shefler September 22, 2016
Over the past decade, the number of listeners aged 12 and over in the U.S. who tune into a podcast at least once a month has gone from zero to 21 percent. Listeners tend to be young, affluent and well educated—a highly coveted audience for publications to reach. Business podcasts are among the most popular for audiences and more publications are asking their print veterans to take up the mic and translate stories to audio. We offer a few tricks of the trade for journalists starting out.
Protecting Your Source in the Digital Era
By Tiffany Hsu July 18, 2016
Digital conversations over email, text or even the phone are vulnerable to tracking and hacking. And although some beats are more prone to attacks—war coverage, technology, national security, anything investigative—shielding sources is responsible journalistic practice for any reporter. Knight-Bagehot fellow and former Los Angeles Times reporter Tiffany Hsu put together a primer on how to chat safely online in an age of hackers and surveillance.
Investigative Technique: Engaging Your Target
By Jacob Kushner April 15, 2015
Lessons from an investigative reporting project on the World Bank.
Beat the Bots This Earnings Season
By Jessica DiNapoli April 7, 2015
Last year, the Associated Press started using robots to write up earnings reports. But there’s a lot more to a good earnings story than profits and margins. Here are some tips to make the most of earnings season.
Felix Salmon on the Rise of the Explainer
By Felipe Ossa January 12, 2015
The widely followed financial journalist talks to Covering Business about the digital storytelling he’s doing for his new gig at Fusion, his upcoming video series “Let Me Tell You,” and the rise of “explainer” journalism.
Behind the Scenes with an Award-Winning Data Wrangler
By Alex Plough December 29, 2014
Alex Plough interviews Rob Barry, an award-winning investigative reporter who specializes in the art and science of data mining, about how he does his best work.
Enlisting an Academic Gatekeeper to Unlock a Story
By Jacob Kushner December 16, 2014
Sometimes there is a single expert who’s the ‘gatekeeper’ to a castle of information and contacts on a business or deal a reporter is investigating. What can a journalist do to gain the trust of such an expert– and what does the expert expect from the journalist in return?
Investigating ExxonMobil, Black Box
By Halah Touryalai October 27, 2014
“I had no idea when I started that for them journalists are bugs on a windshield and they’re driving down the highway. They’re beyond ‘no comment.’ And I had no idea how disciplined they were,” said Steve Coll, Dean of Columbia Journalism School and author of “Private Empire: ExxonMobil and American Power.”
How to Make Numbers Sing on the Radio
By Nina Gregory April 21, 2014
The old maxim among hosts, editors, reporters and producers is that if you say more than one or two numbers on the air, your listeners will tune out, like bored kids in a math class.
When to Use Anonymous Sources
By Mark Glassman April 7, 2014
Everyone’s uncomfortable with them, but they still yield valuable information that serves the public trust. Here are 6 questions to ask before granting anonymity.
Making Business Journalism Visually Interesting and Accessible
By Roseanne Gerin March 31, 2014
The best news organizations are investing in infographics and other digital tools; those who don’t will be left behind
Why your silly cat pictures are worth $563 – and what that can tell you about company valuation
By Max Jedeur-Palmgren March 17, 2014
Doing your own back-of-the-envelope calculations about company value can provide insights for journalists who want to add another layer of understanding to their reporting.
How to publish a master’s thesis
By the Editors September 26, 2013
J-School students report and write a long-form feature to meet their thesis requirement. Khadeeja Safdar (M.A., 2013), picked a big subject, and got hers published by The Atlantic
TV and video reporting for the print journalist
By Kelli B. Grant May 17, 2013
More business reporters are being asked to do web video or appear on TV. Don’t panic.
How to Get Inside the Government’s File Cabinet
By Newley Purnell March 19, 2013
Here’s everything you need to know about filing a FOIA request — and a few resources to help.
What Business Reporters Can Get Out of an MBA
By Louise Story March 4, 2013
Louise Story, a reporter at The New York Times, on how her education helped inform her reporting.
Three Things Journalists Get Wrong About Taxes
By Bill Bischoff December 5, 2012
Here’s how to avoid some of the most common missteps when writing about taxes.
Sizing Up the Economic Damage of a Natural Disaster
By the Editors November 5, 2012
It may be years before the full cost of Hurricane Sandy is known, but business journalists have a few resources at their disposal for handicapping the damage.
Photo: May S. Young
How to Cover the Breaking Number
By Carl Gutierrez October 27, 2012
Reporters can take several steps to shave time off writing to make breaking news more manageable.
Freelancing Abroad: 5 Tips for Business Journalists
By Newley Purnell October 19, 2012
Some rookies are starting their careers overseas. Here’s how one reporter did it and landed clips in major US dailies.
How to Write a Small-Business Profile
By Colleen DeBaise October 13, 2012
Here are a few tips on picking the right company and writing a compelling piece.
How to Follow the Money
By Alex Morrell October 1, 2012
Here are a few tips for tracking corporate influence like that at the federal, state and local level.
Photo: Nomadic Lass
