Story Ideas, Tools to Enhance Consumer Finance Stories for Broadcast Outlets
The Radio Television Digital News Association (RTDNA) and the National Endowment for Financial Education® (NEFE®) have launched a new content series to help journalists improve their coverage of personal finance and economic issues.
Finance 411 is a new content series that will appear bi-weekly on RTDNA.org, with weekly excerpts in RTDNA’s “Communicator” newsletter. The stories and videos will be produced by professional journalists and will cover a variety of topics related to personal finance, consumer issues, the economy and more.
“RTDNA is proud to expand our collaboration with NEFE to help journalists better serve the public by providing enhanced, meaningful coverage of key personal finance and economic stories,” says Dan Shelley, RTDNA president and CEO. “With so much angst about financial issues these days, people want and need to know how to better prepare themselves for long-term fiscal security.”
The goal of the series is to improve the public’s understanding of personal finance issues and to make better financial decisions by improving the journalism they consume on a daily basis.
“There is uniqueness and synergy between RTDNA and NEFE in that both organizations focus on effective education. With the launch of the Finance 411 resource, we hope to support journalists from all disciplines to produce thoughtful and frequent reporting on personal finance issues,” says Billy Hensley, Ph.D., president and CEO of NEFE. “Consumers often face financial challenges and hardships, and pervasive systemic barriers may hinder equitable opportunity and impede people from living their best economic life. Journalists are an essential conduit to provide people with accurate background and context while directing them to resources that may offer an opportunity to improve financial well-being.”
People can access all Finance 411 content at RTDNA.org/Finance411.
RTDNA and NEFE have worked together for more than a decade now, helping to educate journalists and celebrate excellent personal finance reporting. The organizations partnered on the NEFE Personal Finance Reporting Awards from 2012-2021 as well as a digital content series for parts of the past decade.
Shelley concludes, “News decision makers at television and radio stations should recognize the strong return in offering this content as it deepens the connection with your audiences. RTDNA and NEFE are aligning their partnership to assist journalists with story ideas, tools and resources to bring ease and clarity to this reporting work.”
Journalists interested in joining the network of Finance 411 contributors can reach out to [email protected].
About RTDNA
The Radio Television Digital News Association (RTDNA) is the world's largest professional organization devoted exclusively to broadcast and digital journalism. Founded as a grassroots organization in 1946, RTDNA's mission is to promote and protect responsible journalism. RTDNA defends the First Amendment rights of electronic journalists throughout the country, honors outstanding work in the profession through the Edward R. Murrow Awards and provides members with training to encourage ethical standards, newsroom leadership and industry innovation.
