The Reynolds Center has announced its 2008 fall workshop schedule.
Select a workshop and register from the drop-down menu below.
The Reynolds Center has opened registration for select 2008 free online seminars.
Topics include:
*Intermediate Business Journalism
*Covering Private Companies
*Business Journalism Boot Camp
It's the economy, stupid.
As the first participant in this new forum, I've been asked to open with a brief discussion of my philosophy for business coverage at The Oregonian. With apologies to James Carville, that oft-quoted phrase pretty much sums it up.
There are a lot of elements that go into producing a top-flight business section: rigorous reporting to hold powerful corporations accountable to shareholders, customers and employees; crisp, clear writing to explain important and complicated topics to readers; prudent planning to manage resources effectively and avoid lulls in coverage.
But none of it matters unless you have a clear understanding of what matters most to readers. And it doesn't speak well for journalism that politicians discovered before most newspapers that the economy — or, more specifically, having a job and money to spend — comes before anything else.
We've been fortunate enough to develop a reputation for award-winning business coverage at The Oregonian. Almost all of our memorable stories either involved investigative reporting that held companies accountable or explanatory journalism related to important economic events.
When the Asian currency crisis slapped Oregon's economy, Richard Read followed a shipment of french fries from a Washington potato field to restaurants in Southeast Asia. When Enron's financial problems became apparent, Jeff Manning dug into the effects on employees -- learning that they couldn't move money out of Enron stock in their 401(k) accounts. When Oregon's unemployment rate climbed to the highest in the nation, a team of reporters spent most of a year tracking laid-off workers' experiences.
Not every story is that big. Even an earnings report can be an economic indicator or suggest topics worthy of investigation. Opportunities for high-impact business journalism that affects readers are all around us. As I start each week, the best I can hope for is to help reporters find the best targets and pursue them.Copyright © 2008 Donald W. Reynolds National Center for Business Journalism
