A Look Back at Global Economy Stories

Last week on NewsTrust, we searched for good journalism about the Global Economy, with a focus on the rising prices of commodities. We we all found some great stories on this topic, in partnership with Link TV and students at Northeastern University's School of Journalism, led by professor Dan Kennedy.

Here are some of our key findings from this joint 'news hunt.'

Global Effects of the Rising Price of Commodities

The complexities of trade across diverse national and local economies make reporting on the global economy a challenge. This is particular true about the price of commodities, which impact nearly all economies, but affect them differently. In our view, the best journalism is able to both explain the multiple causes of the rise in commodity prices and highlight its consequences in different parts of the world.

A top-rated video feature from Link TV's Global Pulse series showed how various media outlets around the world covered the World Wheat Crisis. According to Jessica Torrez-Riley, a journalism student at Northeastern University, "the video puts into perspective how different cultures and countries are being impacted by the price inflation."

Another fine article from the Financial Times got high marks from Evelyn Messinger, the series producer of Global Pulse. She writes, "this FT article tells an important story - that the effects of skyrocketing food prices will affect Africa differently than elsewhere." Messinger also gave a positive rating to an analysis of the "conundrum over food prices and poor farmers" from The Economist, a go-to source for in-depth analysis of the global economy.

Chelsey Pieretti, another student from Northeastern, submitted an excellent Time article about the environmental and economic impact of bio-fuels entitled "The Clean Energy Scam". As she explained in her comment, "I had very little knowledge of biofuels going into it and I feel like I have learned a great deal about what their use means for various countries and for society as a whole."

Food Aid

A pressing issue that emerged from the news hunt was how rising commodity prices are challenging the ability of the developed world to provide food aid to the parts of the world that rely on this aid to supplement inadequate local food supply. Two pieces, one from the Los Angeles Times and one from the Inter Press wire service do a great job of explaining the politics and economics that feed (or starve) millions of people every day.

Good Video Journalism

Video turned out being a powerful medium in covering this issue. Besides the Global Pulse story on wheat prices, NewsTrust reviewers found a lot of value in Link TV's Mosaic Intelligence Report on the bread crisis in Egypt, and a great report by Bill Moyer, "Hope in the Congo". As video journalism increasingly moves online, we're hoping to see more submissions and reviews of quality video stories on NewsTrust. Check out other stories from video news outlets.

A Video of Our Own

Speaking of video, check out this excellent segment from Northwestern student Jessica Torrez-Riley, documenting NewsTrust Editorial Director Rory O'Connor's presentation to professor Dan Kennedy's journalism class last Wednesday, as well as perspectives from students following their reviews of this article from the National Post. The students generally gave this article low marks, due to its weak sourcing and lack of verifiable factual evidence. This is a great example of how NewsTrust can be used as a literacy tool in the classroom.

Also, be sure to review professor Dan Kennedy's  thoughtful observations about his experience with NewsTrust last week, which will help guide our next steps in developing our service in coming months.

Thanks to Our Partners!

Lastly, we would like to give a big thank you and round of applause to all our partners this week, from Link TV's Evelyn Messinger and Roger McDonald, to Northeastern's Dan Kennedy and the students in his journalism class, for their outstanding contributions to NewsTrust this week. We couldn't have done this without you!

Participating students included:
Jessica Torrez-Riley, Stephen Asay, Brian Benson, Erin Cahill, Bailey Clear, Mitchell Paolo Esteller, Brendan Gupta, Derek Hawkins, Eleni Himaras, Danny Kowalski, Jessica MacNeil, Maureen McLaughlin, Stacey Perlman, Chelsey Pieretti, Casey Ramsdell, Erin Semagin Damio,  Candice Springer, Bianca Strzelczyk, Kelly Sullivan.