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.
It’s hard to believe we’re only a week away from the start of Memorial Day weekend. As summer activities kick into gear, so do the businesses that serve them, so no matter your beat you’ve got a bonanza of holiday-related story ideas from which to choose. Traditionally, it’s a time for business writers to look [...]
With stock market indices topping records and hitting psychological milestones like “Dow 15,000,” your audiences probably are wondering if it’s finally safe to peek at their 401(k) statements, and what else this bull run means for them. And more to the point, “Can it last?” As CNBC reports, major indices are up by double-digits so far [...]
At this point in springtime, articles about residential real estate sales are logical and appreciated by readers. But about one-third of Americans don’t own, they rent, and they need information about the market they are competing in. So why not buck seasonal tradition with a spring report for tenants and landlords about how your region [...]
The 2013 edition of Fortune’s ranking of the top 500 U.S. companies hits the street today. And while the entries generally are clustered along either coast, most markets across the country boast some member of the list, which likely gives you an automatic instant story for your website. The metrics are fairly standard: Why they gained [...]
May is one of those months bursting with seasonal topics that make for interesting and informative local business stories, especially small business and entrepreneur profiles. Taking it from the top: Cinco de Mayo. Time is tight but if you are feeling energetic today, it’s an increasingly celebrated festival not only in Hispanic neighborhoods but at [...]
It’s probably time for another look at the effects of the federal budget sequester on businesses and consumers. Here’s an eye-opening concept that is ripe for localizing: Banks and credit unions are offering “furlough loans” as relief to workers forced to take unpaid leave from government agencies. According to that Credit Union Times report, one [...]
Catchy story ideas are piling up so rapidly this week I’m afraid some good news pegs will get lost on the cutting-room floor, so without further ado here’s a new addition of Quicktips: Baring biceps: The American Society of Plastic Surgeons is just out with its annual report on in-demand cosmetic procedures. The 2012 Plastic [...]
We’ve seen this before, but it always raises eyebrows when it happens: companies and entrepreneurs rushing to market with merchandise inspired by tragic events. Remember the t-shirts that cropped up after the fatal Costa Concordia cruise-ship grounding, and the Japanese tsunami relief gifts? Of course, the Sept. 11, 2001 terrorist attacks inspired items ranging from commemorative [...]
What exactly is this we’re living though? I’ve been covering business and the economy since 1984 and have never experienced anything like it. If you’re in a city such as Austin or Seattle, things are booming again. Other vast swaths of the nation are still hurting — March unemployment in Nevada was 9.7 percent. Indeed, [...]
