Writing About Business

by Thompson, Terri

• ISBN13: 9780231118354
• ISBN10: 023111835X
• Edition: 2nd
• Format: Paperback
• Copyright: 2000-12-01
• Publisher: Columbia Univ Pr

Summary

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 Businessbegins 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 Businesshelps these writers with the often daunting task of reporting on business and industry.

Table of Contents

Preface and Acknowledgments	ix
The Guide	xi
Terri Thompson
Writing About Business and the Economy	xv
Chris Welles
PART I. BASIC CONCEPTS
Macroeconomics
How Economic Systems Work	3	(10)
Barbara Presley Noble
The Political Economy of Government and Business	13	(12)
S. L. Bachman
Government Regulation and the Regulators	25	(9)
John J. Oslund
Economic Indicators	34	(7)
John C. Finotti
Demystifying the Federal Reserve	41	(14)
David M. Wessel
Microeconomics
Economics of the Firm	55	(8)
Vincent Chikwendu Nwanma
Business Management: Organization of the Firm	63	(9)
Scott Aiken
Sales and Marketing	72	(7)
Charles Butler
Accounting Principles and Practices	79	(19)
Ovid S. Abrams
How to Read Financial Statements	98	(8)
Susan Scherreik
Covering Business in Your Town	106	(6)
Jacalyn DePasquale Carfagno
Capital Markets, Banking, and Finance
Where Wall Street Meets Main Street	112	(7)
Patrick McGeehan
The Stock Market	119	(9)
Sharon R. King
The Bond Market	128	(11)
John J. Doran
Derivatives and Other Exotic Securities	139	(8)
William Glasgall
Hedge Funds	147	(9)
Jaye Robinson Scholl
International
Trade and Global Economics	156	(7)
Stephen H. Dunphy
International Business	163	(10)
Dave Lindorff
Global Financial Markets	173	(7)
Andrew Leckey
Covering the World Bank	180	(11)
Paul Sweeney
PART II. PRACTICAL REPORTING AND WRITING TIPS
How to Use Numbers and Statistics	191	(6)
Julia Angwin
What You Can Get from Public and Private Companies	197	(8)
Leah Beth Ward
What the Government Has in Its Files	205	(7)
James V. Grimaldi
Lawrence J. Tell
The Freedom of Information Act	212	(4)
Pamela G. Hollie
Internet Resources for Business Reporters	216	(10)
Robin D. Schatz
How to Use Electronic Data to Generate Company Stories	226	(8)
Michael Molinski
Live Sources---How Do You Get Them to Talk?	234	(5)
Peter Alan Harper
Conducting Live Television Interviews	239	(7)
Jan Hopkins
Business Journalism on TV	246	(4)
Mark Piesanen
Online Journalism	250	(5)
Gerri Willis
Ethics in Business Journalism	255	(10)
Aly Colon
Part III. GETTING THE STORY: INVESTIGATIVE TECHNIQUES AND STRATEGIES FOR COVERING SPECIFIC BEATS
Personal Finance	265	(7)
Pauline Tai
The Insurance Industry	272	(8)
Joseph B. Treaster
Health Care	280	(11)
Trudy Lieberman
Technology and Telecommunications	291	(10)
Craig Miller
Media and Entertainment	301	(7)
Michael Connor
Real Estate and Urban Development	308	(7)
John Gallagher
The Retail Industry	315	(9)
Mel Laytner
The Environment	324	(7)
John M. Holusha
Labor and Workplace Issues	331	(8)
Kim Norris
Consumer Reporting	339	(8)
Frances Cerra Whittelsey
Taxes	347	(5)
Sandra Block
Not-for-Profit Institutions	352	(10)
Steve Askin
Founding the Fellowship	362	(3)
Stephen B. Shepard
Glossary	365	(42)
List of Contributors	407	(4)
Index	411