7. Economics conclusions

Viewing guide

Before

Reflect on a recent economic issue from a news source such as the ABC. Identify the key economic issue of this article and write about it in a way to that a student who doesn’t study economics will understand.

During

Take notes on the ways that Gittins developed his own learning journey to communicate economic conclusions.

After

What are the main challenges for an effective economics writer?
How does Ross Gittins meet these challenges?

John Pierce: Learning how to use, I suppose the tools of economic analysis to arrive at conclusions is one thing, but being able communicate those conclusions to others is a completely separate task in itself. What sort of research and effort goes into your articles and has it got any easier over the years?

Ross Gittins: Well, a fair bit of research goes into it. I spend a lot of time reading mainly government reports, getting stories even out of boring things like budget papers.

John: Thank you.

Ross: But a lot of effort goes into the writing of them. I think I probably take longer to write things than other people do and that's because I'm putting a lot of effort in to try and explain, explaining what it's all about in a way that's simple but not too simple and that's clear and that people can follow, so that you kind of … I'm often trying to demystify economics, find ways to explain it in ways that people understand but which an economics professor won't think, 'Well, that's wrong'. That's actually, that's a kind of skill I've been working on. If you want to know what I've been doing for the past 30 years, I've been working on honing that skill. Has it got easier? I'm pleased to say that in just the last five years maybe, it has got easier and I can actually write these things quicker, partly because I've just got a better feel for what I'm doing and where I'm going. It's become a bit more kind of automatic, you know, a bit like driving a car. I kind of know where I've got to go and where I've got to end up.

John: So there's hope for the rest of us.

Ross: There is. Just keep at it.