Interview with David Taylor, ABC Finance Reporter

David Taylor is a business reporter for the ABC’s Audio Current Affairs programs. He has been an ABC reporter since 2011, working across radio, television and online. David is also a Contributing Editor with Yahoo Finance Australia, writing fortnightly personal finance columns for the site. He is passionate about the news, current affairs, rugby union, travel, and good music – “don’t care what type, as long as I feel better at the end of the song”.

You have over 10 years’ experience in financial reporting. What drew you to this area of reporting?
I love finance and economics! I began learning about economics at school in year 11, and it made sense to me… a lot of sense. Ever since I’ve been keen to learn more and more about Australia’s economy and the global economy, and markets, so I tell the rest of the world what’s going on.

Business and finance are also crucial to the way we live. We need healthy growing businesses and stable financial markets to ensure we all gain from improved living standards.

You’ve recently added the position of contributing editor at Yahoo Finance to your role as a business reporter at the ABC. What does this new role involve?
I write regular personal finance columns for Yahoo Finance Australia. My approach to this column is a painfully simple one: understanding something complex feels amazing so through my writing I’ll bring the sometimes confusing world of business and finance to life for Yahoo’s readers, and show you them how it affects their hip pockets.

I may also be expanding my contribution to the Yahoo Finance platform – watch this space!

Which current finance journalists would you consider as having the most influence on your industry at the moment?
I’d say, Alan Kohler, Emma Alberici, Ross Greenwood, and Paul Clitheroe are the most well-known. It’s hard to say who has the most influence. Here at the ABC we also have an incredibly talented team of business and finance journalists, led by Editor Ian Verrender.

Which finance stories are you following closely right now?
There are too many to mention. Broadly I’m watching the Australian economy: economic growth, interest rates, the unemployment rate and the budget.

Business-wise, it’s all about tech, Huawei and the ups and downs of small businesses and their employees across the country – especially dealing with tax and superannuation.

Globally, it’s all eyes on the US and China trade war and the debt debacle that is the eurozone.
I’ve always got one eye out for overnight developments on Wall Street too.

For a press release to be useful to you, what must it contain?
Good question! A clear news hook at the top. Explain why you’re sending out the press release close to the top – in other words, why is this a story the ABC would be interested in today? A few lines then to develop the story and gain my interest. At the bottom list of contacts who are available RIGHT NOW, and some background to the story underneath.