J298 Business Reporting — Covering Silicon Valley

In Silicon Valley, stock-price movements, hiring and firing decisions and even small product-design changes can have an outsized – if sometimes hidden – impact on people around the world. Covering these developments responsibly and with authority has never been more urgent. This course provides a foundation for reporting on a broad range of business topics, from IPOs and market swings to employment gains and trade flows, with an emphasis the tech players that call the San Francisco Bay Area home. Learn how the likes of Apple and Google go from startup to global giants that influence the lives of billions. We’ll draw on timed in-class assignments to sharpen writing and analytical skills and provide a realistic sense of the demands of a fast-paced newsroom. Reading assignments will include the best of business writing, and visiting journalists will share what it’s like to work for the region’s foremost publications.