Learn about the Taiwan impact

The National Press Foundation is offering an all-expenses-paid fellowship in Taiwan, a small island with a big economic impact, from Oct. 24 through Nov. 2.

The fellowship, which will be awarded to eight U.S. journalists and five Taiwanese journalists, will explore what’s next economically for Taiwan, as well as its relationship with the U.S., China, and other Asian nations.

Journalists selected for the fellowship will have a chance to:

• Interview leaders in industries you cover;
• Discuss reporting issues with Taiwanese colleagues;
• Meet with government officials for on-the-record briefings;
• Experience Taiwan’s high-speed trains;
• Visit cultural and historic sites.

The deadline to apply is Aug. 10. For more information click here. For the online application click here.

After the crisis

The Knight Center for Specialized Journalism is offering a seminar called After the Crisis: The New Shape of the Economy from Sept. 13-18.
The seminar, which will be held at the University of Maryland, will focus on how to cover the fast-changing economy. Attendees will get four days of hands-on training in multimedia reporting, learning how to use photos, audio slideshows and video to strengthen stories.
The seminar will also offer experts speaking on the future of the economy, changes to financial regulation, government spending, fiscal policy, consumer issues, the energy sector and green jobs.
The seminar is free and food and lodging are covered by fellowships. Journalists of all mediums are encouraged to apply. Applications are due Aug. 10.
To apply for the seminar, click here.

Our economy's scribble

The New York Times recently created an interesting interactive graphic, taking a page from The Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development in charting the economic cycle and its major turning points.
The chart, reminiscent of drawings in "Harold and the Purple Crayon", illustrates how volatile our economy can be. Using O.E.C.D. data and charting methods, The New York Times actively illustrates the rollercoaster peaks and dips of the economy from the 1970s to the giant fall of May 2009.
Watching the swinging scribbles of the business cycle over the past 30 years (particularly its recent dive) may not be the most comforting thing in the world, but it is enlightening. Following the cues of O.E.C.D economists to simplify data into something visual and trend-revealing was a smart move on the Times part. Making it into a live-action graph that moves was an even smarter one, taking an otherwise complex and alien-looking graph and turning it into an engaging and insightful piece of multimedia.
View the interactive graphic here.

What do you think of the illustration of the economic cycle? What articles or graphics have you worked on lately that simplified complex data? Comment and let us know!

Have an idea for a good blog for The Pulse? Email it to us at businessjournalism@businessjournalism.org.

CHART CREDIT: The New York Times

Business news has new significance

The Minneapolis Star-Tribune reports that since the sink of the economy, viewership for business and financial news has risen, leading to the popularity of finance news and the journalists who cover it.

The story notes that national networks like CNBC, CNNMoney.com and Fox Business Network have all seen an increase in viewers since the Lehman Brothers filed for bankrupcy Sept 15, 2008.

And primarily female reporters covering the financial meltdown have gained esteem on the beat.

From the story:

"Sandra Smith, a reporter for Fox Business Network, has a less piggish take on why women reporters have stood out in the last couple of years.
'I think females can do a very good job of showing the softer side when covering these kinds of stories,' said Smith, who hails from Chicago. 'I can't tell you the number of victims I've talked to who have lost so much of their net worth. You can't just treat them like their only purpose is to fulfill a story.'"

Miami Herald appoints new biz editor

In the midst of a economic downturn, reporters on The Miami Herald's business desk are working to tell the story about how the economy effects its readers.
And now they'll have a new editor leading the charge - Jane Wooldridge, a 26-year newsroom veteran who was appointed to the lead biz role this week.
Wooldridge is currently the paper's travel editor. A story in the Herald says that she was chosen for "her combination of long service to the newspaper, experience with entrepreneurial projects, knowledge of the business community and strength of new ideas for the section."
From the story:

"Wooldridge said she foresees no dramatic change in the section's direction. "The core stories that we have told we will continue to tell rigorously. We want stories that are useful and relevant to readers."

The recession interactive

Portfolio.com, despite its rocky road to survival over the past few months, hasn't faltered in creating outstanding interactive media covering business. Its packages have simplified recent economic issues and put them into context in a clear, visual way.
Take the interactive multimedia with Band-Aids for the Ailing Economy, for example. Portfolio staff created a comprehensive timeline from 1860 to 2008 showing fluctuations in the nation's gross domestic product, wars, financial crises, house majority and major government regulations on the banking industry. This piece not only displays the nuances of what contributes to a faltering economy, but puts today's recession into context in America's financial history.
This multimedia feature achieves what all business coverage should-it takes vast amounts of complex data and facts and serves it to users in comprehensible, chewable pieces.
Some other Portfolio interactive pieces to check out:
Wall Street's Graveyard, Brother, Can You Spare $2?, The Green Miles, Subprimal Headquarters, and False Starts. The graphic Uncle Sam's Growing Portfolio is also worth a look.

To see Portfolio's interactive features section, click here.

SmartMoney editor leads writing course

SmartMoney senior editor, Beverly Goodman will teach an online course on Mediabistro.com next month to help journalists hone their business writing skills.
The four week financial writing course, being held June 2- June 30, will offer an interactive experience for writers to achieve timely and original business angles in these challenging economic times.
Find complete course details here.

WSJ chimes in on press coverage

NPR talks with economics editor of The Wall Street Journal, David Wessel, to chat about the highly-criticized role of media coverage during the financial meltdown on Tuesday's Talk of the Nation newscast.
Listen to the conversation here.

Nieman Foundation selects biz journalists

Business journalists are among the 24 journalists selected for the Nieman Foundation for Journalism's 72nd class of fellows.
Announced Tuesday, the class of 2010 includes Wired magazine contributing editor, Jeff Howe who will examine crowdsourcing and its use in the development of sustainable journalism models.
Other fellows focusing on business issues will research topics like the economic impact of Latin American immigrants into the United States and the interconnection of the economy with life issues like foreign policy and health care.
See a full list of the 2009-2010 fellows here.

CNBC's Becky Quick on co-anchoring a live morning program

(201).net, a local Web site that caters to Bergen County, NJ, has an article about CNBC anchor Becky Quick. Quick co-anchors "Squawk Box" from 6 to 9 a.m. ET. This means she is at work around 4 a.m., catching up on all of the overnight news developments and, of course, filling up on caffeine. But Quick doesn't seem to mind the lifestyle:

The great thing about being on so early is that you get all the news as it hits the wires. My co-anchors, Joe Kernen and Carl Quintanilla, and I love that more than anything because we love getting the news live, while we're on the air, and trying to interpret exactly what it means, how to ask the best questions, so we can set the business agenda for the day. We need to tell people what they should be thinking about before the market even opens.

Quick said she has watched her 401(k) plummet in the last year and admitted that she did not even open her last statement. But Quick said it's still important to know what is happening with the markets and the economy. "Business news is more vital than ever," she said.

For more click here.

FBN Stock Market Editor: "We're not going to hit bottom until 2011 or 2012"

In an interview with Woman Around Town, Elizabeth MacDonald, stock market editor at the Fox Business Network, shared her views on the economy, the bailouts and a future turnaround for the markets. MacDonald said she is pessimistic, and noted that she does not anticipate a market bottom until 2011 or even 2012. She said the bailouts, which were a product of "hysterical blindness," may not work. "I have lots of concerns including the impact of government's fiscal recklessness (which I should note also occurred under President Bush) and a potential national security issue now that China holds massive amounts of U.S. debt," she added.

MacDonald has the following advice for investors:

Start socking away your money in a decent bond fund with long-term bonds, not short-term debt instruments, which tend to be more volatile, and max out your 401(k). Save, save, save because the U.S. government is deeper into the economy than ever before. And your taxes and costs are going to go up.

MacDonald has received multiple awards for her business coverage, including the Gerald Loeb Award for Distinguished Business Journalism. Prior to joining FBN, she worked for Forbes and The Wall Street Journal.

For more click here.