After I wrote “Covering the Economy, Part I” last week, I received many suggestions from readers, making this column a cut-n-paste job. I have enough for Part III in the weeks ahead, but keep your tips coming to poynter@sree.net.
Here are sites worth visiting:
Bankrate.com: This site, which was recommended by several folks, is an invaluable resource for journalists and is quoted regularly in the financial press. It’s slogan: “Comprehensive. Objective. Free.” According to Daniel Ray, Bankrate’s editor in chief, here are the features that reporters use:
Rate Trend Index: a weekly prediction from a panel of experts on which way mortgage and CD rates will go in the near future. CD prediction updated each Wednesday; mortgage prediction updated each Thursday.The Dismal Scientist from Economy.com: This site provides analysis of 100 indicators for 15 countries and useful daily articles about economic developments. The resources here are very deep and broad and almost everything is behind a for-pay structure ($20 a month; $189 a year). However, journalists may apply for complimentary press access (initially, for six months) by writing to (help@economy.com) with your name, title, media affiliation, phone, and e-mail address.
Mortgage analysis: a weekly look at where mortgage rates are, and how they got there. Published Thursdays.
Mortgage blog: a daily blog on mortgage rates by beat writer Holden Lewis.
Interest Rate Roundup: a look at the state of interest rates on five common consumer banking products and the latest rates from Bankrate.com’s weekly national survey of large banks and thrifts. Published Fridays.
Your Best Interest report: a daily survey of local rates for mortgages, CDs, and home equity loans, available as a national report, a state report, or a local report for the 190 largest markets.
SABEW’s Economy Reporting links: This set of links from the Society of American Business Editors and Writers takes you to useful resources.
Two statistics sites suggested by Joan Concilio, a copy editor and reporter for the York (Pa.) Daily Record. Joan, a math and finance major in college, says “I hate seeing my beloved numbers butchered in the media and I’m all for spreading the word on sites that’ll help correct that.”
Statistics Every Writer Should Know: A guide to doing simple, journalistic math (percentages, averages, etc) by Robert Niles, a senior producer at LATimes.com, whose also has an excellent set of links as part of Finding Data on the Internet.
The Quest for Accurate Numbers: This set of guidelines for writing about numbers is by Malcolm Gibson and is from copydesk.org, the site of the American Copy Editors Society.
Have a site you want to recommend? Write to poynter@sree.net (with your name and affiliation; I prefer to hear about sites you are not connected with).
Sree’s Links:
