Interviewing Tips

Pin down interview subjects

In business journalism, you can safely bet that most—almost all, even—interview subjects have an agenda. Company executives want to project an image that will satisfy

Be sure vendors have what they claim

A long time ago, I was in a software distribution business with a large audience of software developers and engineers. Much of my time was

The fundamentals of good journalism are more important than ever. Here's a refresher. (Merrian-Webster Dictionaries image by Merrian Webster via Flickr, CC BY-SA 2.0)

Unimpeachable sources

I’m a big fan of the bells and whistles of modern storytelling, such as 360 journalism and data visualization. I’m equally enthusiastic about delving into

How to check a source’s statistics

You’ve probably noticed that PR departments and agencies often try to make their pitches seem like authentic news. To that end, many will toss in

5 Services matching reporters with expert sources

Many journalists use services like Help a Reporter Out (HARO) and Profnet to track down experts or real-people sources. But these large, general-interest services have their shortcomings,

One way to hunt down sources for business stories is using a sourcing service, if you know how to do it right. ("Obsolete Book" image by Jamie via Flickr, CC BY 2.0)

The desperate reporter: How to use sourcing services

Finding sources can be a pain for any reporter. For business journalists, it’s a particular challenge. You need to locate companies that have specific problems and experiences—construction firms  coping

7 tips for better business interviews

Last year, I joined two long-time business journalist colleagues of mine—Randy B. Hecht and Robert McGarvey—on a webcast hosted by the American Society of Business

FOIA user’s guide: Six key sources

When a city bids to host the Olympics, it’s big sports news. It’s also a massive business story. Billions are invested, which means companies will vie

Business journalists need to learn how to navigate the tricky world of off-the-record sources. (Image by Ryan McGuire via Pixabay, CCO Public Domain)

How to navigate off-the-record requests

Questions about material delivered by anonymous sources have fueled recent political stories. But off-the-record promises are thorny for business journalists as well. People might reasonably

How to vet story sources

Years ago a PR person pitched his “Fortune 500” client to me. Having never heard of the company although it was in a field I

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