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Dick's Picks by Richard Weiss
Welcome to Dick's Picks. This column is designed to highlight outstanding business stories at the nation's newspapers, magazines and websites and discuss what we can learn from them. Your correspondent is Dick Weiss, a journalist with 30 years in the business as a writer, editor and writing coach, most of them at the St. Louis Post-Dispatch.
Dick now works full time at his writing, editing and coaching business, WeissWrite LLC. He has toured with the Donald W. Reynolds National Center for Business Journalism as a guest lecturer for The Craft of Business Writing, a series of workshops at more than a dozen cities across the U.S. If you've written or read a great business story, please bring it to Dick's attention by e-mailing him at weisswrite@gmail.com.
Feel free to post your comments related to Dick's Picks and suggest your own business stories!
June 2, 2008
Weiss highlights stories from the St. Louis Post-Dispatch, Houston Chronicle and Seattle Post-Intelligencer that provide intelligent perspectives on the past, present and future of three very different industries. More
April 24, 2008
Readers are drawn to stories that provide the insight of insiders. These stories from The Washington Post, The Wall Street Journal and the Minneapolis Star Tribune provide crucial information about three recession-affected industries. More
A Buyer's Market For Trend Stories
April 8, 2008
When the economy takes a sudden turn, business writers can spot interesting trends. Reporters at The Washington Post, Pittsburgh Post-Gazette and Chicago Tribune produced three insightful stories that help put the economy into perspective for readers. More
March 13, 2008
Reporters at The Dallas Morning News, The Charlotte Observer and The Philadelphia Inquirer find different ways to drive impatient readers into their stories. More
Feb. 13, 2008
Reporters at The Columbus Dispatch, The Washington Post, and Chicago Tribune drive readers to their well researched and statistic-laden stories with refreshing human interest angles. More
Targeting the Time-Starved Reader
Jan. 23, 2008
Time to shine a light on small stories that deliver big dividends for readers. The keys to success: Find a novel topic, take a fresh approach and stay narrowly focused. Reporters at The Philadelphia Inquirer, MinnPost.com and the San Jose Mercury News have done just that. More
Left Coast Delivers the Right (Write) Stuff
Jan. 4, 2008
Reporters at The Seattle Times, San Francisco Chronicle and San Jose Mercury News use their computer-assisted reporting and storytelling skills to move the hearts and minds of their readers. More
Dec. 20, 2007
Some of the best business stories unfold for readers just a little bit at a time. They raise interesting questions, answer them, then raise more questions and answer those as well until readers find themselves - almost before they know it - at the end of the story, no matter how long it may be. More
Avoiding the Black Hat-White Hat Syndrome
Dec. 4, 2007
Pulitzer Prize winner Loretta Tofani looks at the Chinese workers who make the products now considered so dangerous. Jackie Crosby of the Minneapolis Star Tribune takes you into the home of a family caught in the subprime mortgage debacle. And Jeff Coplon of New York Magazine provides an insightful profile of the late Gerald Boyd, the New York Times' first black managing editor. More
Top Investigative Stories Are Models of Precision
Nov. 5, 2007
Some of the best business investigative stories anticipate and share the arguments of those with contrary views, then take them on point by point. Reporters from The Seattle Times, The Kansas City Star and The Dallas Morning News set a standard for careful and precise reporting in this edition . More
Business Profiles with Passion and Personality
Oct. 26, 2007
Reporters from The Sun of Baltimore, The Press of Atlantic City and The Charlotte Observer provide three great lessons on how to bring passion and personality to a business profile. More
Oct. 1, 2007
The Philadelphia Inquirer's Diane Mastrull chronicles an heir’s effort to put apartment buildings on his storied 44-acre estate while The Kansas City Star takes a critical but entertaining look at Sprint Nextel’s $5 billion dollar wireless gamble. And The Tampa Tribune's Richard Mullins takes you high in the sky with the people who perform one of the most lethal jobs in America. More
Reporter Lays Publication to Rest in Effective Prose
August 24, 2007
The World News' final edition hits the newsstands Aug. 27, but not without a proper business obituary -- a delightful piece by Peter Carlson of The Washington Post. More
Without Question, These Business Stories Hit the Mark
July 31, 2007
Good stories don't have to start with a question. But they should raise questions that propel readers into your piece. Paul Nussbaum of The Philadelphia Inquirer did just that. My other two picks come from the The Seattle Times and The Commerical Appeal. More
Home and Business Ownership Stories Offer Compelling Tales
July 16, 2007
My picks feature two stories that play into the interest in we have in our homes as an investment and a repository for our dreams. My top pick is the story of an independent pharmacy struggling to make it in a world dominated by chains and mail-order prescription drug firms. More
Business Reporters Hit the Right Keys
July 2, 2007
Good newspapers and their staffs know how to play all the keys. Weiss cues up three business stories that hit the right notes in both coverage and narration. More
Abuse of Trust Stories Connect with Readers
June 4, 2007
This edition of Dick's Picks highlights two stories out of Florida and one from New York that have a single element in common -- abuse of trust. More
Business Stories Highlight "What's in it" for Their Readers
May 15, 2007
This edition of Dick's Picks highlights stories to which readers can readily relate -- but in different ways. More
Business Sections Repeat Past Success
April 20, 2007
With this edition, Dick's Picks marks its first anniversary spotlighting the best business stories around the nation. More
Journalists Take Successful Business Story Paths
March 23, 2007
You can find three sure-fire paths to finding a good business story -- or any story for that matter... More
Crime, Background and Railway Features Speed to the Top of the List
March 2, 2007
Business stories from The Philadelphia Inquirer, San Jose Mercury News and The Orange County Register take top honors in the latest edition of Dick's Picks. More
Business Stories Engage Readers with Consumer News, Humor
February 15, 2007
Over the past year, I've given short shrift to the so-called "news you can use" category in business journalism. I've focused on the stories with more literary bite. But this week, we'll look at three stories that serve the readers well and, by the way, bring a little grace and humor to the table. More
Business Stories Span the Economic Spectrum
January 22, 2007
We look at stories featuring people at polar opposites of the economic spectrum. Those making what you might call the maximum wage -- Bill Gates, and former Bank of America chief Hugh McColl and those at the minimum wage. More
Top Business Stories Take Root in Unlikely Places
January 4, 2007
Today's edition of Dick's Picks features stories from some unlikely places -- a story about stock options with an Iowa City dateline; another about a well-heeled church minister operating out of what was once a roller skating rink, and a story about computers from Lagos, Nigeria. More
Dick's Picks: Stories Take Spotlight with Winning Numbers Coverage
November 28, 2006
Some of us got into journalism because we aren't so good with numbers. But there's no escaping them if you are a business reporter. So today I award two of my picks to stories that use numbers judiciously and explain them well. More
Dick's Picks: As Circulation Takes Hit, Reporters Hold up Their End of the Bargain With Readers
November 2, 2006
Despite many challenges, we recognize that the reporters and editors at some papers are holding up their end of the bargain with readers -- providing quality journalism. More
Dick's Picks: Well-Crafted Ledes are Worth the Wait
October 6, 2006
We all know editors who want us to get to the point quickly. And usually they are right; readers are pressed for time and have little patience for ledes that wander past the jump. But today Dick's Picks is dedicated to stories that do take just a bit longer to get to that nut graf. More
Dick's Picks: 'Breathtaking' Business Series Lands Top Honors
September 7, 2006
Some business stories get your attention. Others are just, well, breathtaking. That’s the best way to describe two-time Pulitzer winner Paul Salopek’s four-part series in the Chicago Tribune. More
Dick's Picks: Let Entertainment Value Help Your Business Coverage Shine
August 16, 2006
I found three imaginative business stories that made me think of movies, plays and musicals. Click on these links and you'll find drama, pathos and humor – and some lessons in storytelling that you can apply in your own work. More
Dick's Picks: Profiles Move Forward With or Without the Interview
August 2, 2006
Who says you need an in-depth interview or an interview at all with your subject to write a compelling profile? It's nice when you can get unfettered access to the person you are writing about, but not essential. More
Dick's Picks: Anecdotes Provide Winning Hook to Engage Business Journalism Readers
July 24, 2006
All hail the anecdotal lede, that tried and true method of getting readers to engage with a story. Focus on RPs (what the journalists in my former newsroom called real people) caught in the throes of a dilemma and readers will remain riveted to your tale till the very end. More
Dick's Picks: Reporters Hit Home with Standout Business Stories
July 6, 2006
When it comes to reader friendly stories, there's no place like home. Each of my picks touches on home buying in very different ways... More
Dick's Picks: Distinct Approach to Retirement Piece Lands Top Spot
June 22, 2006
Thinking about retirement? Whether you're a cub reporter or a vet about to write your last story - it's a hot topic now. My top pick deals with the subject in an unusual way - first person. More
Dick's Picks: Unique Voice, Storytelling Highlight Business Journalism Winners
June 9, 2006
Today's picks are a paean to pithiness. Submitted for your consideration are three concise pieces from the Houston Chronicle, The Seattle Times and Chicago Tribune - each with its own unique voice and approach to storytelling. More
Dick's Picks: Business Selections Feature Immigration, Globalization and Sports Themes
May 25, 2006
It's hurricane season and I find myself absolutely blown away by the quality of the stories I've found over the last couple of weeks. More
Dick's Picks: Business Reporters Hit the Highway, Courtroom
May 15, 2006
I found so many excellent business stories over the last few days that I was tempted to add a smiley face to this report. But then I might get sued. More
Dick's Picks: Immigration, Tax and Entrepreneurship Pieces Provide Solid Reads
April 27, 2006
I expected to be showered in April with gripping stories from the Enron trial, incisive pieces about the spiraling cost of gasoline and compelling tales about illegal immigrants. Well, given that it's baseball season, maybe one out of three isn't bad. More
Dick's Picks: Humor, Irony Enliven Business Coverage
April 17, 2006
My selections for this inaugural edition are three stories that demonstrate beautifully how to use both humor and irony in your work. They blend crisp writing with excellent reporting. All of them touch on the everyday lives of readers in interesting and revelatory ways. More
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