Writing About Business: The New Knight-Bagehot Guide to Economics and Business Journalism

Drawing upon the experience of some forty of the nation’s finest journalists, all alumni of the Knight-Bagehot Fellowship in Economics and Business Journalism at Columbia University, this book is a complete guide to writing about business and economics. Writing About Business begins by demystifying basic concepts of macroeconomics, microeconomics, financial markets, and international economics and trade. Next, it provides practical reporting tips, from how to use statistics to understanding what the government has in its files, from conducting live interviews to using electronic data to generate stories about companies. In closing, the book suggests investigative techniques and strategies for covering specific beats, including personal finance, health care, the environment, labor and workplace issues, media and entertainment businesses, technology, small businesses, and not-for-profit institutions. To many journalists and public relations professionals, business and financial writing can appear fraught with complexity. With its wealth of practical information, Writing About Business helps these writers with the often daunting task of reporting on business and industry.