Consistency and fairness are benchmarks of solid reporting. The principles loom especially important in business coverage.
The economy and employment were center stage during the extraordinary times of the pandemic. Business reporting expanded beyond the standard fare of grand openings, anniversaries and managerial or ownership changes. Even those newspapers with limited resources produced a range of stories that focused on evolving worksites – the places we earn a paycheck as employees and purchase products and services as consumers.
Those reports deserve the same attention during ordinary times and can be a rich source of content. I also firmly believe that substantive business coverage can lead to increased advertising, which is vitally important in today’s fractured media landscape.
Newspapers must approach business news carefully and with sensitivity, too. Place your criteria and corresponding reports under a microscope. Do the loudest voices – the biggest advertisers – receive the best coverage? Do individuals and advertisers with friends in high places – read: publishers – receive special favors in terms of complimentary reports or in quashing unflattering news? Newsrooms can likely cite instances of when exceptions to policy are granted without firm footing.
There is no singular standard for what qualifies as business news. Newspapers must craft guidelines to suit their circumstances.
But a couple of basic questions should be a starting point: Is it news? If so, when is it news?
Consider this example from one newspaper.
August 2023: “New movies spark a comeback; Cinema has improvements in store” – Three years after closing twice due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the theater isn’t just open and celebrating the return of a summer blockbuster. It’s also eyeing a bigger, better future with renovations on the horizon as a tribute to the theater’s small-town audience.
October 2023: “Big changes in store for theater” – The seasons are changing. And so, too, is the local theater. Years after first developing renovation plans, the locally owned theater is preparing for installation of new luxury recliners beginning in January. The plans were first confirmed in a behind-the-scenes tour of the theater this summer, but now the process is nearing its official kickoff.
June 2024: “Cinema upgrades still on the horizon” – Delayed due to a combination of industry and contractual reasons, the theater’s seating renovations are still coming soon, according to the general manager. “It’s definitely happening. We’re guessing later this year, or early 2025, when it’s slow around the January, February timeframe. A lot of customers are looking forward to it. It’s definitely happening. It’s just happening a little later than we thought.”
Thumbs up to the newspaper for spotlighting an industry that clearly took its lumps during the pandemic and continues to transform in an attempt to lure patrons back. It’s a great example of how to broaden the scope of traditional coverage, to develop business into an everyday beat.
At the same time, thumbs down on the foundational premise for the reports. When are the theater renovations news? Do they really deserve regular updates?
The sequence of stories ought to raise reporters’ eyebrows. And what do other entertainment venues in the community think of the free publicity? All of the stories also previewed upcoming movies and other theater promotions.
Reaching a common understanding of what is news and what is advertising is essential. The first step is to start a conversation with your news and advertising departments, and then communicate policies to your various audiences. Building business news into your everyday coverage – with clear criteria – can spell dividends for news and advertising departments.
Jim Pumarlo writes, speaks and provides training on Community Newsroom Success Strategies. He is author of “Votes and Quotes: A Guide to Outstanding Election Coverage” and “Bad News and Good Judgment: A Guide to Reporting on Sensitive Issues in a Small-Town Newspaper.” He can be contacted at www.pumarlo.com.