Business journalism: “humanizing” figures and “reading” them correctly

Business journalism has become one of the most important realms of the media; this is why the information journalists report to the public should be as clear and understandable as possible. How to write simply, how to “read” and then communicate figures correctly, the SAJ students learned at the first specialized course of this year – Business Journalism.

The course was divided traditionally into two modules: theoretical and practical. The first module, mainly theoretical, was held by businessman and expert in economy and law Vladimir Bolea. He deciphered, together with the students, such notions as formation of prices in free market economy, currency, raider attacks, supply and demand, interest and dividends, trade balance, import and export, monopoly, competition, remittance, off-shore systems and money laundering.

After the theoretical initiation into business journalism, students passed to the practical part. From the editor-in-chief of the www.eco.md portal Ion Chislea future journalists learned what a news story on economy should contain to be good, what the criteria are for selecting a topic for a report on economy, how to use numbers and statistics in articles. He also explained to the students what a financial report is, how to find the right angle of approach and how to use specialty terms correctly. All knowledge was enhanced with practical exercises. “Articles can appear from any sphere of economy, but a good news story starts with a figure. Think analytically, ask questions and search for answers,” advised Ion Chislea the students.

About entrepreneurship and the difference between it and business SAJ students learned from the president of GEN Moldova - Global Entrepreneurship Network Moldova, Olesea Fortuna. Together with the trainer, young people did several practical exercises, where they learned how an idea can turn into a business and then into a success story. Students say that this course, which was held for the first time at the SAJ, helped them better understand how to cover the news that might influence a country’s economy and promised from now on to read and think analytically. “Now I understand much better the terms and know how to read reports and statistics,” concluded Parascovia Spic.