Beat Basics by veteran business journalists
Basics
Covering business:
An introduction
Welcome to the business beat. If you are new to business reporting – relax. Mark W. Tatge, an author, professor and investigative reporter who spent three decades as a journalist, is here to walk you through the basics.
Agriculture
Covering agriculture:
An introduction
Agriculture is a business that is changing rapidly and offers a variety of rich stories. Perry Beeman, senior environmental and agriculture, reporter at The Des Moines Register, explains the beat's basics.
Economy
Covering economics:
An introduction
The economy is one of the most important beats for any journalist. It covers prices, interest rates, trade, unemployment, wages, government spending, taxes, etc. Grant Hannis, who spent 14 years as a senior financial journalist at Consumer magazine, breaks down the basics.
Energy | Utilities | Mining
A guide for covering energy, utilities and mining
Angel Gonzalez helps lead the coverage of the energy industry for one of the world's top financial information services. In this basics package, he shares his insider secretes and tips for covering the beat.
Green | Sustainability
Covering sustainability:
An introduction
The sustainability story is as big as Wal-Mart and as a local as a neighborhood coffee shop. So, where do you begin? Use this basics package as a guide for covering sustainability topics.
Health care
Health care:
Covering hospitals
Health care is a massive beat, so we've broken it down to start with a basic lesson on covering hospitals. This guide is by Karl Stark, health & science editor at the Philadelphia Inquirer.
Insurance
Covering Insurance:
An introduction
It’s called insurance, but this beat is really about people and the bad things that they hope won’t happen. Paige St. John, from the Sarasota (Fla.) Herald-Tribune, explains ways to approach the beat with extra skepticism and very good sources.
Investigation
Investigative reporting:
An introduction
Investigative reporting allows you to dig deeper into complex issues and corruption. This guide by John Emshwiller, a veteran Wall Street Journal reporter, will maximize your chances of finding an in-depth story.
Investing | Banking
Covering Banking:
An Introduction
Welcome to one of the most exciting beats in business. Heather Landy, Mary Fricker and Theo Francis tackle some of the big issues.
Manufacturing | Large companies
Covering manufacturing:
An introduction
Despite what you've heard, American manufacturing is alive and well. Micheline Maynard, senior editor of Changing Gears and former NYT's senior business correspondent, breaks down the basics.
Personal finance
Personal Finance beat:
An introduction
Covering personal finance is part journalism and part counseling. Pamela Yip, reporter and columnist for the Dallas Morning News, is here to make sure you don't go into it unarmed.
Real estate | Econ development
Covering real estate:
An introduction
Everybody needs a roof over their head – even local businesses. Jonathan Lansner, a veteran reporter at The Orange County Register, details how to cover the story of real estate locally and nationally.
Retail | Lifestyle
Covering the retail beat:
An introduction
Everybody shops, but the retail beat is about much more than going to the mall. We asked Ylan Q. Mui, who covers consumers and the economy at The Washington Post, to explain how and why.
Sports
Business of sports:
An introduction
Covering sports business goes beyond games and delves into the financial operations of professional teams, universities, non-profits. The Arizona Republic's Craig Harris opens his playbook.
Technology
Covering Technology:
An introduction
Tech reporters are a breed of their own, with a distinct set of skills, knowledge and experience. In this primer, G. Pascal Zachary, who reported on Silicon Valley for the San Jose Mercury and The Wall Street Journal, gives us the basics.
Transportation | Airlines | Travel
Covering transportation:
An introduction
Like transportation itself, covering it is a beautiful thing when it works. When it doesn’t, the failures are out there for all to see. Bernie Kohn, team Leader at Bloomberg News, outlines basic building blocks for smart transportation coverage.
