Boston Globe Reporters Predict The Future: Their Gamble Could Be Your Opportunity

God bless Boston Globe Sunday Business Editor Robert Gavin. About a year ago, as the Globe’s economic reporter, Gavin pulled the story assignment that most major beat reporters confront every December: Predict the future. 

Art by Leo Acadia for Jan. 2, 2011 Money & Careers section.


This is the month when industry reporters “look ahead” to next year, talking to sources and using their expertise to offer audiences a sense of what to expect, trends, potential newsmakers, etc., in the year to come. Some reporters also produce “look back” stories, recapping the past year on their beat and, hopefully, offering some analysis.

Reporters and editors are people too, with families and friends. They want time off at the holidays like everyone else. These look back/look ahead pieces can be written and laid out well in advance, allowing the media to fill pages with staff content while giving reporters a year-end break.

For business and enterprises, these stories represent an opportunity to pitch experts and analysts who can comment on what lies ahead for an industry or segment. The pitches rarely work if they are self-promoting. Don’t expect a profile of you or your organization. Instead, be satisfied to position yourself as a thought leader and perhaps become a source for future stories.

What was unusual about the Globe’s effort to forecast 2011 was the lack of experts cited in the spread of stories penned by Gavin and his colleagues – Jennifer B. McKim, Robert Weisman, Scott Kirsner, D.C. Denison and Casey Ross. That’s gutsy.

The Lazy Lob: Buttery Communication Goodness

Many intelligent people do not read the Wall Street Journal because they despise its owner (Rupert Murdoch’s News Corp.), disagree with the paper’s editorial perspective, and/or get bored with hardcore business news. Politics aside, they should rethink their position. The news content in “Marketplace” and “Greater New York” offers excellent reporting, writing and analysis. The lifestyle and trend pieces in “Personal Journal” and “Review” are offbeat and intriguing. Joe Queenan’s column today (“Some Expert Advice: Get A Clue”) is just one example. Plus, reading the WSJ is a good way to monitor the conservative intelligentsia.

Today’s New York Times features an interesting story about efforts to thaw the icy relationship between former President Bill Clinton and President Obama (“With New Book, Bill Clinton Makes New Bid to Bolster Obama.”) Clinton is intensely frustrated with the current administration’s obvious failure to effectively communicate the vision, principles and successes of its policies. So he wrote their narrative himself. (“Narrative” is a snotty word for “story.”) Ya gotta love Big Bill. If it wasn’t for a constitutional amendment, he could run for President right now and beat all comers, including the incumbent in his own party. Listen to him Mr. President.

Yesterday’s Bending Light post mentioned Andrea Estes, a colleague during my time as an editor and reporter at the Boston Herald. She was vastly underappreciated there, despite excellent sources and clean writing. When the Boston Globe hired Andrea, she restarted her career back at the bottom of the caste system, covering suburban events. She is now one of the most respected (read: feared) journalists in the city. Take a look at this Google search. Her name has been on every big scandal story for the past five years. The best thing about Andrea?  She is invisible. You won’t find her picture. She has no social media footprint. She is not a public speaker. But you’d be a fool to ignore her call or e-mail.