When the CBC tweeted out a series of news alerts following Brazil’s election of a far-right presidential candidate… people had a lot to say. The tweets flagged, “fresh opportunities for Canadian companies looking to invest in the resource-rich country” and noted President-elect Jair Bolsonaro’s free market and pro-business stance — but neglected to initially mention his sexism, homophobia, and open declaration of being in favor of a dictatorship.  

The tweets went viral, with readers and journalists alike expressing outrage with the CBC’s framing, but some were surprised by the attention it drew, saying that analysis focused on investment opportunity was common and could be found in any mainstream business publication. 

So, was this a misunderstanding of the role and audience of business news, or an example of irresponsible journalism? 

Guest host Karen K. Ho explores how these ethical concerns are becoming a core component of many big stories, and what some reporters are doing to expand business journalism’s audience and sources. Bloomberg’s Jordyn Holman who covers gender, race and class, and Bill Grueskin, former managing editor of the Wall Street Journal and professor at Columbia University’s Graduate School of Journalism, join Karen.

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Illustration by Cari Vander Yacht for Bloomberg’s podcast The Pay Check. 

This episode is sponsored by Audible and HelloFresh.