Two Minute Tips

November 2016

From farm-to-table to environmental issues, there are plenty of oyster tales to be told. ("Oysters" image by Jeremy Keith via flickr CC BY 2.0)

Oyster season basics for business reporters  

Oyster season, which traditionally runs from fall through early spring, is a great time to harvest business stories on these tasty bivalves. Particularly as the oyster industry, global in scale,

Barlett and Steele Awards

How they did it: “OxyContin’s 12-Hour Problem”

Earlier this month the 2016 Barlett & Steele bronze award was given to “OxyContin’s 12-Hour Problem,” the Los Angeles Times’ investigation into how America’s bestselling prescriptive painkiller helped fuel a nationwide opioid epidemic.

The composting industry has plenty of money story angles, jobs to corporations. ("Compost" image by Antranias via pixabay)

4 money stories in the compost industry

The feasting season is also the season for food waste. According to the Worldwatch Institute the amount of discarded food in the U.S. increases by a third between Thanksgiving and

Barlett and Steele Awards

How they did it: “Testing Theranos”

Last week the 2016 Barlett & Steele Silver Award was given to “Testing Theranos,” the Wall Street Journal’s devastating investigation into startup Theranos. WSJ reporters discovered that the company’s ballyhooed blood test was seriously flawed,

No need to go out on a limb to find a business story in Christmas trees . ("Christmas Tree Sale" by Patrick Lentz via flickr CC BY 2.0)

Oh, Christmas trees! Ideas for business stories

With the holiday season around the corner, the economic impact of Christmas trees is a timely business story. The industry has evolved profoundly over the last 100 years. Originally cut

How to Cover Money logo

Finding and using Census data in your stories

Brandon Quester and Evan Wyloge of the Arizona Center for Investigative Reporting share their tips for finding and using census data. Quester and Wyloge originally shared these tips during Reynolds

The largest investigation in the history of journalism won the 2016 Barlett & Steele Gold Award. ( Image from Arthur Jones and Shutterstock)

How they did it: “The Panama Papers”

Yesterday evening the 2016 Barlett & Steele Gold Award was awarded to “The Panama Papers,” the massive investigation that revealed Panama as a tax haven through which some of the globe’s dirtiest

Brandon Quester, founder of the Arizona Center for Investigative Reporting, believes data is the future of journalism.

Reporters and data: 5 questions for Brandon Quester

Brandon Quester is the founder and executive director of the Arizona Center for Investigative Reporting, a nonprofit media organization focused on data journalism and investigative reporting in the state of

Sophisticated marketers are using precise weather forecasts to gauge customer moods. ("sh 7 typical weather forecast" by "Upupa 4me" via flicker, CC BY 2.0)

How retailers use weather forecasts to increase sales

Product marketing has a new gold standard: advertisements targeted not just to specific customers, but to the experiences they are having in real time. Companies are increasingly utilizing weather forecasts,

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