Business news articles keep stakeholders (investors, employees and customers) informed about a company’s financial performance, strategic decisions and other important information. Business news can also serve as a barometer for the health of the overall economy. Understanding the trends and patterns that characterize business news can help policymakers, economists and analysts make sound predictions about future economic conditions.
Business coverage can vary greatly from one publication to the next, depending on the target audience and the style of writing. Articles written for a general newspaper or magazine may need to convey complex topics in an easily digestible format, while those for a trade journal or local business magazine are likely to be more targeted and specific. In either case, a good business news article should be accurate and reliable, with strong headlines that grab attention by providing important details about the story.
When writing a business news article, it’s important to remember that while the writer is offering an opinion, it should not be too personal or biased. Unless the author is an expert in the field of the topic being covered, it’s better to let the facts and figures speak for themselves. This can be achieved by interviewing the subject of the story (e.g. a new CEO) or by taking quotes from publicly available statements.
In addition to the general business news articles available in major publications like The Wall Street Journal and The Economist, UC Berkeley offers a number of business resources, including the Financial Times, Forbes, Bloomberg Businessweek and The San Francisco Business Times. Several databases are also available to researchers, including Business Source Complete and Factiva. See the Library’s Business Research Guide for tips on using these and other resources.
Regional business news is a broad term that covers local and regional news related to businesses, markets and economies. This can include coverage of local economic trends, industry statistics and demographics. It can also include the latest in business-related developments and events, such as the opening of a new retail store, a new plant or the announcement of a merger or acquisition.
Local and regional business news can be found in newspapers, magazines, radio and television news transcripts, trade publications and on newswires. In some cases, these resources can be accessed via the Internet or from your local public library. The business news guide for this region focuses on sources in the United States; however, some resources do offer international coverage. If you’re interested in finding additional local and international business news, you can use the search tips provided on the Library’s Catalog page of this guide. If you have questions about business news that are not answered here, please contact Ask-A-Librarian.