And Here...We...Go!
Let's Get Down to Business.
Happy daylight savings time, and welcome to Biz Whispers, a new column devoted to Iowa business.
So just who in blazes am I to write a business column? Good question! I’m Rick Jost, a native Iowan, and I’ve worked as a journalist in this state my entire adult life. Here’s what I bring to this column:
· Knowledge of Iowa commerce as a business writer at The Des Moines Register and, later, as the newspaper’s Business Editor for 10 years.
· Fifteen years as an editor at Meredith Corp, where I created marketing publications and digital communications for a range of clients, from Jeep to State Farm.
· Editor of Our Iowa magazine. I was in charge at the bi-monthly magazine’s headquarters in Ames.
Biz Whispers will focus on Iowa business. It will be driven by these editorial parameters:
· Topical
· Timely
· Accessible: Serious business, yes, but breezy, not stuffy
· Personal anecdotes, when appropriate
By creating Biz Whispers, I hope to help fill a void in this state’s business coverage with deep dives into Iowa’s issues, trends and people.
It starts today with an in-depth look at Iowa’s largest private employer, an off-the-wall merger idea, and a roundup of entertaining business movies.
Please join me!
Biz Whispers is a reader-supported publication. If you’d like to receive new posts and support my work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber.
This column is part of a fast-growing collection of reporting and writing from Iowa writers all over the map. You owe it to yourself to check out their work at Iowa Writers' Collaborative. From politics to entertainment, from food to music, and from the media to rural affairs — and now, Iowa business.
Welcome, Rick. Hope we can visit sometime about our common experiences of working at Meredith, and for Roy Reiman!
Welcome aboard, Rick, to the Iowa Writers’ Collaborative. Our readers are going to love the knowledge and experience you bring to coverage of businesses all over the state. You definitely know the territory! Meanwhile, I think the two of us should resume the occasional lunches we shared when both of us were newsies with the Des Moines Register. The 80 or so us on the “staff” of the IWC are a lot like the old Register staff — great spread in our ages, our special interests cover the gamut of human activity, and we all have a good bit of professional experience. There’s a good “feel” here about the news & opinion work we are doing.