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Workshop Registration
The Reynolds Center has announced its 2009-10 free workshop schedule.
Select a workshop and register from the drop-down menu below.
Online Seminars
The Reynolds Center registration for Fall 2009 free online seminars.
The Culture of a Weekly
By Henry Dubroff
Putting Opinions Aside
By Michelle Leder
Crisis Hits the Covers
By Jennifer Hopfinger
Books for Developing Business Journalism Savvy
By Andre Jackson
Building Economic Literacy
By Andre Jackson
Putting Opinions Aside
By Michelle Leder
October 15, 2008
For the past four weeks, business journalists have lurched from crisis to crisis: the once venerable Lehman Brothers filing for bankruptcy and Merrill Lynch being sold at a fire-sale price to Bank of America. Less than 24 hours later, we learned of the $85 billion bailout (and counting, now that they’ve asked for another $37.5 million) of AIG. Then there was a three-page $700 billion rescue plan being pushed by Treasury Secretary Henry Paulson. In between, we’ve had a couple of dizzying drops in the stock market. And there was also the failure of Washington Mutual.
Any one of these events would be a major story for a business journalist. But the fact that they’ve been happening in quick succession – with once formidable institutions toppling like dominos -- makes it hard for most of us to keep up. It’s the most challenging month I’ve seen in the nearly 20 years that I’ve been working as a business journalist, which means there’s a lot of opportunity for good stories.
The challenge, of course, is in trying to put all of this into perspective for your readers and viewers, without creating the type of panic that Jim Cramer did earlier this month. While it’s clearly irresponsible to sugar coat what’s happening right now, since even the experts are unsure of exactly what’s likely to happen, I think it’s equally irresponsible to foment fear.
So how exactly can you walk that fine line? By giving your readers and viewers the information to help them make their own smart decisions. As a reporter in Florida during the savings and loan crisis, I remember getting regular calls from readers asking me which bank was safe (and which was likely to fail). Though I had my opinions and would routinely encourage folks to make sure they were within the FDIC protection limits ($100,000 per account), I would never share my opinions. Instead, I used the numbers that I found in the financial statements (and in the footnotes) to tell the story.
During times of panic like we’re experiencing right now, it’s common for people to look for someone with answers. But remember this: Your job is to report what’s going on – not to dispense investment advice.
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Copyright © 2008 Donald W. Reynolds National Center for Business Journalism
The Reynolds Center has announced its 2009-10 free workshop schedule.
Select a workshop and register from the drop-down menu below.
The Reynolds Center registration for Fall 2009 free online seminars.
By Henry Dubroff
Putting Opinions Aside
By Michelle Leder
Crisis Hits the Covers
By Jennifer Hopfinger
Books for Developing Business Journalism Savvy
By Andre Jackson
Building Economic Literacy
By Andre Jackson
Putting Opinions Aside
By Michelle Leder
October 15, 2008
For the past four weeks, business journalists have lurched from crisis to crisis: the once venerable Lehman Brothers filing for bankruptcy and Merrill Lynch being sold at a fire-sale price to Bank of America. Less than 24 hours later, we learned of the $85 billion bailout (and counting, now that they’ve asked for another $37.5 million) of AIG. Then there was a three-page $700 billion rescue plan being pushed by Treasury Secretary Henry Paulson. In between, we’ve had a couple of dizzying drops in the stock market. And there was also the failure of Washington Mutual.
Any one of these events would be a major story for a business journalist. But the fact that they’ve been happening in quick succession – with once formidable institutions toppling like dominos -- makes it hard for most of us to keep up. It’s the most challenging month I’ve seen in the nearly 20 years that I’ve been working as a business journalist, which means there’s a lot of opportunity for good stories.
The challenge, of course, is in trying to put all of this into perspective for your readers and viewers, without creating the type of panic that Jim Cramer did earlier this month. While it’s clearly irresponsible to sugar coat what’s happening right now, since even the experts are unsure of exactly what’s likely to happen, I think it’s equally irresponsible to foment fear.
So how exactly can you walk that fine line? By giving your readers and viewers the information to help them make their own smart decisions. As a reporter in Florida during the savings and loan crisis, I remember getting regular calls from readers asking me which bank was safe (and which was likely to fail). Though I had my opinions and would routinely encourage folks to make sure they were within the FDIC protection limits ($100,000 per account), I would never share my opinions. Instead, I used the numbers that I found in the financial statements (and in the footnotes) to tell the story.
During times of panic like we’re experiencing right now, it’s common for people to look for someone with answers. But remember this: Your job is to report what’s going on – not to dispense investment advice.
Copyright © 2008 Donald W. Reynolds National Center for Business Journalism