U.S. Business Journalists Express Confidence in Journalism's Future

PHOENIX, June 23 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- Almost two-thirds of business journalists report the amount of business coverage at their organization has stayed the same or increased in the past five years, according to a new survey commissioned by the Donald W. Reynolds National Center for Business Journalism. | Business Journalists Study 2010.

The Business Journalists Study 2010 is a groundbreaking survey of 473 business reporters and editors.

"We talked with hundreds of print, online, wire, broadcast and freelance business journalists, and they expressed optimism about the future of journalism," said Andrew Leckey, Reynolds Center president and Reynolds Endowed Chair in Business Journalism at Arizona State University.

"I am convinced the Reynolds study is a seminal piece of work that should make the obituary writers for journalism pause and seriously reflect," said professor Tim McGuire, former editor of the Star Tribune in Minneapolis. McGuire is Frank Russell Chair for the Business of Journalism at ASU's Cronkite School.

Specifically, McGuire was surprised that almost a third reported an increase in pay over the past two years and that seven out of 10 business journalists say they are more or just as satisfied with their jobs as they were five years ago. Almost three-fourths plan to stay in journalism.

"What's striking in the results is how much more negatively print journalists have been impacted compared with those from other media," said Linda Austin, executive director of the Reynolds Center.  

THE FULL STUDY: Business Journalists Study 2010 (PDF)

Respondents averaged 20 years in journalism and 12.8 years as business journalists. Also:

• Six out of 10 are doing more or about the same level of investigative journalism.
• Nine out of 10 have learned new skills.
• About half blog, file first for online, cover more beats.

ABOUT THE SURVEY

Business Journalists Study 2010 was conducted by Behavior Research Center Inc. The phone survey between April 19 and May 6 has a margin of error of +/-4.6 percent.

THE REYNOLDS CENTER

The Reynolds Center is based at ASU and funded by the Donald W. Reynolds Foundation, a national philanthropic organization founded in 1954 by the late media entrepreneur for whom it is named. Headquartered in Las Vegas, it is one of the largest private foundations in the United States.

SOURCE Donald W. Reynolds National Center for Business Journalism