Business Journalism Essentials and Education

Business journalism is a vital field that requires a unique blend of business acumen and journalistic skills.

To become a successful business journalist, one needs to have a solid understanding of business concepts, such as financial statements and market trends.

A business journalism degree can provide a strong foundation in both business and journalism.

Pursuing a degree in business journalism can open up a wide range of career opportunities, from working as a financial reporter to covering the latest mergers and acquisitions.

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The history of business journalism is a fascinating one. Around 1700, Daniel Defoe started publishing business and economic news.

Charles Dow, Edward Jones, and Charles Bergstresser began a wire service that delivered news to investment houses along Wall Street in 1882. This marked a significant shift in the way business news was disseminated.

The Wall Street Journal began publishing in 1889, becoming a prominent example of business journalism. It's still one of the top newspapers in the US in terms of circulation and respect for its journalists.

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Ida Tarbell's reporting on the Standard Oil Co. in 1902 set a template for business journalists to follow. Her work showed that business reporting could be both informative and engaging.

Business coverage gained prominence in the 1990s, with the wider investment in the stock market. This increased demand for business news led to more journalists specializing in the field.

Students can earn a Business Journalism Certificate by taking specific courses, which include Intro to Business Reporting, Advanced Business Reporting, and Business Journalism Capstone.

These courses are typically offered in the Spring and Fall semesters, as indicated by the course schedules. For example, JOURN 230 is only offered in the Spring, while JOURN 231 is only offered in the Fall.

The Reynolds program also offers a comprehensive education in business journalism, which includes taking specialized courses like Financial News and Reporting on the Economy, as well as introductory courses in economics and accounting.

To complete the program, students must also take four additional classes at the 200 level or higher in fields like Accounting, Business Administration, Economics, or Finance, including at least one with an international focus.

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If you're interested in pursuing a certificate in business journalism, you've got a few options to consider. The program offers three courses that can help you develop your skills in this area.

One of the courses, JOURN 230 Intro to Business Reporting, is only offered in the Spring semester. This is a great opportunity to get a solid foundation in business reporting.

Another course, JOURN 231 Advanced Business Reporting, is only offered in the Fall semester. This course is perfect for those who have already gained some experience in business reporting and want to take their skills to the next level.

If you're looking to cap off your business journalism certificate, JOURN 232 Business Journalism Capstone is the way to go. This course is only offered in the Spring semester and is designed to help you put all your skills together in a real-world project.

Here are the certificate courses offered by the program:

In the Classroom, students pursuing business journalism education get hands-on experience through specialized courses like Financial News (Journalism 371) and Reporting on the Economy (Journalism 372).

Students must take four additional classes at the 200 level or higher in Accounting, Business Administration, Economics, or Finance, including at least one with an international focus.

The Reynolds program regularly brings in experienced business journalists to share their insights with students, including notable speakers like Sue Craig and Walt Bogdanich from The New York Times, Marty Baron from The Washington Post, and Matt Murray from The Wall Street Journal.

Students also gain practical experience through an internship of at least 200 hours, providing them with valuable hands-on experience in the field.

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The Reynolds Chair was established in 2002 with a $1.5 million grant from the Donald W. Reynolds Foundation.

This grant created an endowed chair for business journalism at Washington and Lee University, bridging the university's journalism and commerce departments. The program also tapped into the university's law school resources.

The Donald W. Reynolds Foundation was founded in 1954 and closed in 2017 after awarding $1.8 billion in grants to various universities and organizations.

The Reynolds Foundation provided additional funding to Washington and Lee University in 2004 and 2007, with three-year $450,000 awards.

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Business journalism is all about going beyond the surface level of a story. It requires developing, reporting, and producing in-depth text enterprise stories that are portfolio-quality.

This type of reporting involves applying what you've learned from previous classes, such as Methods and the business seminar, to create high-quality stories. Students in an advanced business reporting class will take what they've learned and use it to produce stories that can be used to impress potential employers.

To succeed in business journalism, you need to be able to take complex information and break it down into clear, concise language. This means being able to analyze data, identify key trends, and tell a compelling story that engages readers.

In an advanced business reporting class, students will spend time developing their reporting skills and producing text enterprise stories that are worthy of a portfolio. This means creating stories that are not only informative but also engaging and well-written.

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Business journalism is all about understanding the big picture, and that includes getting familiar with the money and financial tools that drive the economy. Students in the Business, Money and Markets seminar learn to connect the dots between financial and economic news and how it impacts them, their community, the country, and the world.

Developing a strong understanding of business, financial, and economic concepts is crucial for journalists, and this course helps them master the basics. By learning about inflation, health care, income inequality, climate change, and big money in politics and business, students gain a well-rounded perspective on the global economy.

Students in this seminar will gain a deeper understanding of the forces shaping economic life and society in aging industrialized nations like the U.S. They'll also learn to identify the resources that can lead them to more answers about the economy.

Here are the key takeaways from the Business, Money and Markets seminar: