Categories
Journalism

What I’ve Been up to This Summer

2013 08 22 bloombergdotcom

I’ve had quite a twelve months.

After completing an intensive nine-month master’s in business and economics journalism at Columbia in late May, I embarked on an equally memorable, though shorter, experience: a ten week internship at Bloomberg News‘s headquarters here in New York.

I finished at Bloomberg last Friday. It was a fantastic experience.

This recent BBC video provides a look the Bloomberg HQ as a workplace.

And embedded below — and online here — is an overview of Bloomberg’s operations.

I worked on the Emerging Markets team, assisting with coverage of everything from debt markets in Argentina to global currencies to equities in Mexico.

Here are links and snippets from just a few of the stories I worked on:

China Out of 10 Biggest Stocks as PetroChina Ousted:

Chinese companies have dropped out of the ranks of the world’s 10 biggest stocks by market value for the first time since 2006 amid a cash crunch, slower growth and the biggest U.S. stock rally in a decade.

Give Us Your Real Dollars for Our Fake Dollars: Argentina Credit:

President Cristina Fernandez de Kirchner’s wish of being able to print dollars is coming true as the central bank begins issuing dollar-denominated certificates today that trade in pesos.

Slim’s Frisco Surges as Gold Mine Strike Ends: Mexico City Mover:

Minera Frisco SAB, billionaire Carlos Slim’s gold and silver mining company, gained the most in two years after saying the government intervened to help end a strike at its biggest mine.

‘Fragile Five’ currencies unravel as developing economies suffer:

Emerging-market currencies are trailing their peers in advanced economies by the most since 2009 as a global recovery eludes countries from China to Brazil.

While helping out on stories like these was excellent training, perhaps my most instructive experiences came during the interactions I had in the newsroom with some truly top-notch reporters.

The timing of the internship worked well, too: This year at Columbia, I studied corporate finance; financial accounting; the history and future of journalism; computational journalism; and more.

And this summer at Bloomberg, I was able to put what I’d just learned to practical use in a fast-paced, competitive, collaborate environment where news moves the market in real time. In short, it was the perfect way to spend the summer.

So, looking ahead: What’s next for me over the coming twelve months?

Stay tuned.

Categories
Journalism

Self Promotion: New Story about Making FOIA Requests

2012 11 05 c b

I have a new story at CoveringBusiness today. It’s all about filing Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) requests.

Categories
Thailand

Self-Promotion: My Thailand Nostalgia Piece Included in WSJ Scene Asia’s 2012 Travel Story Roundup

As I Tweeted yesterday, I was delighted to see that my piece on all things vintage Thailand was included in WSJ Scene Asia’s list of their top Asian travel stories of 2012.

The story, which ran in August, is online here.

Categories
Journalism

Self-Promotion: New Story about Covering Tourism Industry Shocks

2012 11 05 c b

Just a quick note to let you know that I have a new story over at Covering Business, a Columbia Journalism School site.

The piece is called “How to Write About Shocks to the Tourism Industry.”

Categories
Journalism

Self-Promotion: New Story on Freelancing Abroad

2012 11 05 c b

With all of my recent Hurricane Sandy blogging and Twitter curation posts, I neglected to point out a story I wrote last month for Covering Business, a Columbia J-School Web site devoted to business journalism.

The piece is called “Freelancing Abroad: 5 Tips for Business Journalists.”

Enjoy. (And have a look around the rest of the Covering Business site. It’s an excellent resource.)

Categories
Thailand

Self-Promotion: A Chat about All Things Vintage Thailand

Remember my Wall Street Journal story about all things vintage Thailand?

If you’re interested in hearing more on the topic, you can listen to me being interviewed by Terry Travis, host of the Azumano Travel Show (AM 860 KPAM, Portland, Oregon). We chatted not long ago for a segment that ran last weekend.

Click through to listen. The interview lasts just under eight minutes. 

Categories
Journalism Misc.

Programming Note: I’m Off to NYC for Nine Months

Some news to share, friends:

Next week I’m leaving Bangkok to spend nine months in New York, where I’ll be pursuing my master’s in journalism at Columbia University.

I’ll be in the MA program, which is designed for experienced journalists to focus, in depth, on one area of study. I’ll be in the business and economics concentration.

As far as posting here at Newley.com is concerned, I’ll likely continue linking — though less frequently — to stories about major news events in Thailand. And I’m sure I’ll be writing about my experiences in New York.

I’ll be returning to Asia in the spring, so Thailand friends: I’ll see you on the flip side. U.S. and NYC pals: I look forward to catching up soon.

Thanks, as ever, for reading. And please stay tuned: I’ve got some long-pending posts in the queue that cover a variety of topics, from blogging to nutrition to Mac geekery.

Categories
Journalism Thailand

Self-Promotion: New WSJ Story on All Things Vintage Thailand

I know I said I wouldn’t be posting anything until next week, but I wanted to break my brief radio silence to point out that I have a story online and in the print edition of today’s Wall Street Journal Weekend Journal.

It’s called “Exploring Thailand’s Taste for Nostalgia,” and features some excellent photos by Luke Duggleby. Check it out online here, or grab a copy of today’s WSJ Asia Edition.

Categories
Bangkok Thailand

Self-Promotion: My New WSJ Scene Asia Story on Hip Bangkok Nightlife

I have a story about hip Bangkok nightlife over at The Wall Street Journal‘s Scene Asia.

The piece is called Bangkok’s Creative Watering Holes, and begins:

What looks like a saloon entrance leads to a low-lit cavern, and up the wrought-iron staircase, a sultry woman croons along with a jazz combo.

Downstairs, the well-heeled crowds sip elaborately crafted cocktails, seemingly unconcerned with the blacksmith tools scattered about.

This is a typical after-hours scene in Bangkok, or more specifically, Thong Lor, one of the City of Angels’ most cosmopolitan neighborhoods. A world away from the backpacker dives of Khao San Road and the city’s less salubrious red-light districts, the area—based around Sukhumvit Road’s Soi 55—offers edgy watering holes, craft brews on tap and pop-up music nights that cater to locals and expats alike, proving that it’s possible to have a night out in Bangkok without recreating “The Hangover Part II.”

Categories
Thailand

Self-Promotion: New WSJ Southeast Asia Real Time Story on Runway Repairs at Suvarnabhumi

The story is here, and begins:

Runway repairs at Bangkok’s Suvarnabhumi international airport are causing flight delays, and a global airline association says carriers and passengers could be significantly affected in the weeks ahead.