The Bloomberg Way: A Guide for Journalists

In today′s economy, news stories often have an immediate impact, amplifying the need for reliable reporting and journalistic excellence. By following the Bloomberg Way, any journalist can learn how to embrace this fast–changing world.

The Bloomberg Way is the style and reporting guide of Bloomberg Editorial & Research, the leader in global financial and business journalism.??Now in its 14th edition, the book reflects the standards of accuracy and transparency that Bloomberg′s first editor–in–chief, Matthew Winkler, brought to the newsroom at its inception in 1990. The latest version addresses Bloomberg′s expansion across multiple platforms, including television, radio, the web, and magazines. It also offers guidance on learning a beat, using the Bloomberg Terminal, and storytelling with charts and graphs.

Introduction ix

Chapter 1: What We Do 1

The Bloomberg Way 2

Bloomberg Editorial & Research 4

Collaboration in Action 9

Chapter 2 How We Report 15

Learning a Beat 15

Sourcing 21

Interviewing 26

Breaking News 30

The Multiplatform Approach 33

Beyond Breaking News 37

Pitching Your Story 42

Research Using the Terminal 44

Chapter 3 How We Write 49

Headlines 50

Leads & Nut Paragraphs 60

The Whole Story 69

Writing Well 74

Corrections & Lapses 80

Sending Corrections 83

Social Media 83

Chapter 4 How We Use Data 91

Charting 92

Commonly Used Terms 95

Common Errors 100

Automation 101

Technical Analysis 103

Chapter 5 Ethics & Standards 107

Accuracy & Fairness 108

Defamation 110

Privacy 113

Access 114

Plagiarism 115

Conflicts of Interest 116

Conduct 120

Endorsements & Paying Our Way 122

Events & Interviews 123

Contests 124

Chapter 6 How We Cover Markets 127

What’s Moving (& Why) 128

Traders & Investors 131

Markets Style 133

Equities 135

Debt 138

Currencies 143

Commodities 147

Chapter 7 How We Cover Companies 153

Earnings 154

Deals 160

Corporate Debt 166

Finding News 170

Context & Valuation 173

Corporate Equity 177

Chapter 8 How We Cover Economies & Governments 183

Economies 184

Governments 192

Acknowledgments 197

Appendix 199

Words & Terms 213

Index 323

John Micklethwait has been the editor–in–chief of Bloomberg Editorial & Research since 2015. Previously, he was the editor–in–chief of The Economist.

Paul Addison and Jennifer Sondag are editors for global training. Paul joined Bloomberg in 1994, and Jennifer joined in 2000.

Bill Grueskin is a professor at Columbia Journalism School. Previously, he was Bloomberg′s executive editor for global training.