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Meet the Trainers: Stephen Kahn - How to get a head start as a financial journalist

Journalism.co.uk has lined up a host of great trainers for our short courses covering social media, podcasting, financial journalism, search engine optimisation for journalists and other communications professionals.

On October 24, Stephen Kahn, former City editor of the Daily Express, takes our one-day course on financial journalism, which focuses on how to get ahead - and stay ahead - at a time when City desks are under pressure and financial news is all important.

In the next in our series of interviews with the trainers, Journalism.co.uk asks Kahn for his views on the current state of financial journalism:

Background
I started my journalistic career in the late 1960s with a CBI house magazine called Industry Week. Visiting steel mills, car plants, and textile factories gave me a grounding in business life beyond the boardroom.

From there I had a short spell at Campaign - the ad industry magazine - which was a handy introduction to marketing.

My aim had always been to make it onto a national newspaper. I grabbed the chance to join the Daily Mail City office when it came along. After three months I was the section's stock market reporter - and later I became a business writer. I stayed for nearly four years.

From there I joined the Daily Express City team. For the last eight years - until March - I was City editor of the newspaper. This job entailed a good deal of admin; writing comment pieces for the news section; and leading my own section.

What are the main challenges facing financial journalism at present?
One of the key challenges is trying to determine the timing of economic recovery. At its bleakest, parallels were being drawn between the credit crunch and the Great Depression. We've avoided the soup kitchens but there is likely to be a series of false dawns before the world economy climbs out of recession.

Since the beginning of the crisis financial journalists have had to get to grips with areas - derivatives, money markets, central banks etc - that were previously deemed backwaters compared to reporting the corporate scene. There is a requirement for a breadth of knowledge rather than too narrow specialisation.

Shareholders are in the same rebellious mood with boardroom directors as the electorate is with MPs. Financial journalists have to achieve a fine balance in their reporting.

What skills are required by new financial journalists?
Not so long ago new recruits to national newspaper desks from whatever background could expect a gentle introduction in to their new roles. However in today's City offices the chances are that slashed staffing levels do not present experienced journalists with the time to pass on their knowledge. The new entrants must 'sink or swim'. But there are tips that can help their buoyancy.

The old virtues of accuracy and clarity have never been more important. The loss of dedicated City subs in the current stage of new technology means that the safety net has been removed. Under pressure noughts creep in or disappear; £-signs become $-signs and vice versa. Extra vigilance is paramount.

This would not be a headache were speed not such a necessity. Today's financial journalists are expected to double - even triple - up to supply internet-based applications of their sections. They have to develop a formula that can be applied to any number of different stories that allows them to extract information efficiently and turn it swiftly into good copy. There is no time to wait for inspiration. My half-day course looks at these problems - and suggests solutions.

A full list of Journalism.co.uk's courses can be see on the training pages. For more information or to book a place, contact ed at journalism.co.uk.

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