ABSTRACT
Several traditions of economic journalism have been shaped over time worldwide, depending on economic and political systems, and on journalistic practices in different countries. Although Anglo-Saxon media have constituted an almost universal reference point in the practice of business journalism, historically, three journalistic approaches have guided the growth of this news subfield: the British (United Kingdom and Commonwealth countries), with a strong emphasis on information about financial markets; the European-continental (Central Europe, Mediterranean and Nordic Countries, etc.), with a greater emphasis on the economy and its interrelation with politics; and the approach in the United States, where corporations dominate economic life. Likewise, the practice of economic journalism has been very different (and continues to be so today) in countries with democratic regimes (in addition to those mentioned above, big countries such as Brazil, India, etc.) as opposed to countries with more authoritarian systems (China, countries of East and Southeast Asia, Russia, some Latin American countries, etc.). Finally, the different degree of economic and political development – as has happened and is happening in many African countries – also conditions the role and development of a fully professional economic journalism. This chapter analyzes how these different circumstances and journalistic traditions affect the practice of business journalism in three main subfields: economic news, business news and financial news. The chapter also analyzes how these differences translate into ethical dilemmas, professional challenges and journalistic styles that remain very varied worldwide.
