Years ago, I wrote and produced a special for the ABC Owned & Operated TV Stations. The anchor was Edward P. Morgan, who had moved into television after years of solid news analysis in radio.
We opened the program something like this:
"As Calvin Coolidge said, ‘The business of America is business.’"
Cliché, I know, but true. Most Americans would agree that’s what we are about. True, too, in the sense that American capitalism is the world’s most creative, productive and powerful.
(Of course, some might tack other truths on the wall next to it, like "The business of America is freedom." Or, "The business of America is democracy.")
Why am I telling you all this?
Because I have just finished reading the "Business Outlook" section in today’s Albuquerque Journal, which conveys the Greater Albuquerque Chamber of Commerce’s agenda for the upcoming state legislative session.
High on that agenda is opposition to any increase in the minimum wage.
The Journal reports that and, unsurprisingly, does not explore the issue.
This reminded me that, with few exceptions – the Wall Street Journal and New York Times jump to mind – business reporting in the press is a service to the business community of which the local newspaper is part. The critical faculties exercised elsewhere in the paper are allowed to snooze on the business side.
Oh, local newspapers do carry syndicated stories on business’s darker side. And yes, they have been known to do a pro-and-con on controversial issues. But as a rule, they convey positive messages.
We have had notable exceptions. When Sherry Robinson edited the Albuquerque Tribune business section, it had many virtues, not the least of which was that she made its pro-business agenda overt.
Winthrop Quigley of the Journal is a fine business reporter. He covers the health business particularly well. Like Sherry, Win lets us know where he is "coming from."
This is not a plea for reform. I do not expect our newspapers to diverge from the cheerleading tradition in business coverage.
It would be nice, though, if they put Coolidge’s words on the front page. Sort of truth-in-packaging.