Business news is a type of journalism that covers topics related to the economy, finance, and the business sector. Typically, business news is found in newspapers and magazines, as well as on television. However, it is also available in many other media outlets, including radio and Internet news channels.
The term “business” means any enterprise that seeks to profit, whether by selling a product or service or through other methods such as bartering goods or services for cash or securities. This is a broad definition, though, and businesses can range in size from individuals with side hustles to huge corporations.
There are two main types of business news: local and national. While the local business sections of daily newspapers and weekly business tabloids provide information about companies in their own metropolitan areas, most national business publications focus on large national or international companies.
While business publications do include information about individual company events, such as a new management hire or a sale, they are largely focused on general trends in the industry. This helps readers keep abreast of the most important issues facing their business and provides valuable research that can help them improve their own operations.
Aside from local news, business publications often offer special sections covering a variety of other topics. These include new products, new hires, classified ads, and legislative action on state or national issues. These departments may be more extensive than the general business sections of most newspapers and are a good way to get the latest on your industry without paying for expensive advertising.
For example, the monthly trade magazine of an industry can feature interviews with key people in the field, articles about new and innovative practices, and in-depth reviews of products and services. A typical trade journal may also cover legislative actions in the industry or the state that would never be covered by a local newspaper because of its narrowly focused coverage.
The trade press is one of the most diverse forms of publishing, with hundreds of periodicals dealing with a wide variety of industries. This is partly because of the large number of industry niches that exist, and partly because a business can have many different aspects or activities.
Most major newspapers have their own business section. These are usually published in the same place as their other general news sections and often feature similar editorial content, except that they tend to focus more on the specifics of each particular industry.
As with any other segment of the mass media, the business press has undergone significant changes over the years. For one thing, the Internet has transformed it from a print-dominated industry into a Web-based medium of distribution and dissemination.
This has created a new locus of competition among traditional business publishers and technology-savvy Internet publishers. Most of the big national and global business periodicals maintain substantial Web sites, offering all or most of their printed products’ content and some additional sections that might be omitted in the printed edition.