Resources

Background: Regional snapshots

The next edition of the "Beige Book" is due out shortly and it's always worth taking a look at. The report provides a snapshot of economic conditions in the United States by region.

Background: Social media

There's no need to feel alone when you're covering the economy and personal finance. Lots of journalists are tackling the same issues you are, and they're happy to share ideas and talk about it.

Background: National data

Want to know how your state compares to others on lots of different measurements? Check out the "national data book."

Background: Government sites

No need to search for federal government agencies with a hand in the economy. We've created a list for you.

Seminars

If you want to dig deeper into the business beat, consider getting some free training from The National Center for Business Journalism.

Recession maps

You'd like to add context to stories about your local economy. But where can you find the data you need to compare and contrast your community with similar parts of the country?

Online data

Searching for economic data online to put stories in context can be time consuming if you're not sure where to look. We've collected some shortcuts to make the job easier.

Glossaries

Personal finance is a broad topic, covering everything from consumer debt to investing. Journalists who cover the field need to understand the terminology so they can explain it in their stories.

Guides

Financial statements and other business-related documents and procedures aren't always easy to understand. But we've found some easy-to-follow guides that can help.

Calculators

Business and finance stories inevitably involve numbers, but crunching them is easier than ever thanks to free online tools.

Reading list

Reporters who cover business and personal finance say the only way to learn the beat is to study it. "Get a grounding in the basic stuff," says NPR's Adam Davidson. With his help and suggestions from other business journalists, we've compiled a short list of recommended books.

Professional groups

Whether you're covering personal finance as a full-time beat or as a general assignment reporter, it's useful to know about journalism groups that specialize in the topic.

Fellowships

Journalism fellowships are a good way to learn the ropes on any beat. A few are designed especially for journalists to build expertise in covering business and economics.

About "Money Matters"

This financial reporting section is designed to help journalists cover one of the biggest stories of the year: the economy.