Five Questions with...Chris Warden

By Kevin Sweeney

Chris Warden, a professor at Troy University in Alabama and alum of the 2007 Reynolds Center Business Journalism Professors Seminar, speaks to Managing Editor Kevin Sweeney about the program.

1 How much of a need is there for training of professors in the field of business journalism across the country?

The need for good journalism about business has never been greater. A $13 trillion economy, global commerce and economic policies being considered by governments all must covered well, so that the public can make sense of the world and events.

With this need, therefore, comes a great need for good business journalism professors to instill this knowledge in the next generation of journalists.

2 How would you rate the experience of taking part in the inaugural Business Journalism Professors Seminar from the Reynolds Center in January 2007?

The Reynolds Center fellowship program was excellent, and for three main reasons. One, it gave me material and food for thought about how to teach aspects of business journalism. Two, it let me learn from seasoned business journalism professors, as well as seasoned business journalists. And three, it gave me resources -- the Center itself to name the chief one -- to draw upon in my own curricula.

3 What direct results, either in your own curriculum or in other professional outlets, do you attribute to your time with the Reynolds Center in Tempe?

After returning from the fellowship, I immediately inserted a section into a class that focused on gathering information from documents. I had students look up financial information on companies in the SEC Edgar system and helped them understand the material presented in those documents. I was a little surprised at the level of interest the students showed, which again confirmed to me the need for more such instruction at the college level.

I am continuing to push for a special topics class in business and economic journalism to pave the way for a more permanent class offering. In addition, I have been developing a contract for business journalism. (Here, a contract is the equivalent of a minor, and students take courses in other departments relevant to the contract.) The Reynolds Center fellowship also spurred me to write a textbook on economics for journalists that spells out economic principles in commonsense, everyday terms.

4 As far as college administrators are concerned, what are the biggest hurdles that business journalism faces when it comes to getting this curriculum taught to students?

The biggest hurdle, and I'm sure my experience is not unique, is staff resources. In our faculty, four full-time professors and one part-time, and seven or eight adjuncts teach about 50 classes a semester. As most of these classes fulfill degree requirements, there is little wriggle room for additional classes. We are working on that, but it will probably be a while before we can expand our staff.

5 What would you say to other college professors who are considering applying for the Professors Seminar in 2008? What advice do you have for those who simply want to initiate a course or two on the subject of business journalism?

To those educators considering the Reynolds fellowship, I have two words -- DO IT! It will be rewarding, even if you taught business journalism classes already. For those who want to install a business journalism course, the first thing to do is make sure the department chairman is on board, so he or she can go to bat for you with the administration. After that, persistence is needed to keep the project on the top of administrators' in-boxes.

Copyright © 2008 Donald W. Reynolds National Center for Business Journalism