“Covering Your Local Economy” was first offered on Aug. 21, 2013, as part of the Asian American Journalists Association’s pre-conference schedule. The economy is still the biggest story going, and these resources will equip you with the story ideas and skills you need to tackle economic stories on any beat. Get armed with the tools and understanding you need to tackle local economic stories, including those in the labor and housing markets. WHAT YOU WILL LEARN How to find the economic angle in stories on any beat, How to use statistics to find and develop local economic stories, How to find fresh angles on the job and housing markets in your town, and What 10 stories on the economy you should jump on now. YOUR INSTRUCTORS Marilyn Geewax is the national economics correspondent for NPR. Geewax is regularly heard discussing economic news on Tell Me More, Talk of the Nation and Weekend Edition. Her work contributed to NPR’s 2011 Edward R. Murrow Award for Hard News for “The Foreclosure Nightmare.” Follow her on Twitter at @geewaxnpr Meena Thiruvengadam is business channel manager at Digital First Media’s Project Thunderdome. Previously, she covered the Treasury, Federal Reserve and economic news for Dow Jones Newswires and The Wall Street Journal in Washington. Follow her on Twitter at @Meena_Thiru. SELF-GUIDED LESSON Review the workshop materials below and discover new ways to cover local economic angles. PowerPoint presentations Covering Your Local Economy: It’s Everybody’s Business — Geewax When Will the Jobs Come Back? — Geewax What’s Happening with Housing — Geewax 10 Local Economic Stories to Jump on Now — Thiruvengadam For more information about training for business journalists, please visit businessjournalism.org.

1. Title Slide10
local
economic
stories
to
jump
on
now

2. Meena
Thiruvengadam
Business Channel Manager
Digital First Media
How to reach me:
646-664-4008
meena@digitalfirstmedia.com
www.meenamedia.com

3. Municipal Finance
You may not live in Detroit, but that doesn’t necessarily
mean your city or town is on strong financial footing.

4. Real Estate
The housing market is making a comeback across much of
the U.S. How’s it doing where you are?

5. Don’t forget renters
The rental market is often overlooked in real estate
coverage, but it’s ripe with stories - especially now.

6. Biggest Employers
If you don’t already have a list of top employers, creating
one can be a smart investment of your time.

7. Not just quantity but quality
A Best Workplaces story is one likely to resonate with
readers and have a long shelf life.

8. Speaking of jobs
Unemployment still isn’t back to its pre-recession level, but
hiring is up, the nation’s jobs picture is getting brighter and
employment stories everywhere.

9. Are you ready for some football?
Football season is literally just around the corner, and it’s
not just a sports story. Between stadiums, contracts and
team valuations, business angles abound.

10. Autos
Auto sales are as high as they were before the recession,
and that leaves lots of opportunities to tell stories that go
beyond the numbers.

11. Healthcare
The countdown to health care reform is on, and that makes this the time to
look at how changes will impact both consumers and healtth care
professionals in your area.

12. Interest rates
One thing’s for sure, and that’s that interest rates can’t stay at
record lows forever. Hints of higher rates are emerging and already
starting to have an impact on borrowers, savers and others in your
area.