Mitchell Hartman

Correspondent

SHORT BIO

Mitchell’s most important job at Marketplace is to explain the economy in ways that non-expert, non-business people can understand. Michell thinks of his audience as anyone who works, whether for money or not, and lives in the economy . . . which is most people.

Mitchell wants to understand, and help people understand, how the economy works, who it helps, who it hurts and why. Mitchell gets to cover what he thinks are some of the most interesting aspects of the economy: wages and inflation, consumer psychology, wealth inequality, economic theory and how it measures up to economic reality.

Mitchell was a high school newspaper nerd and a college newspaper editor. He has worked for The Philadelphia Inquirer, WXPN-FM, WBAI-FM, KPFK-FM, Pacifica Radio, the CBC, the BBC, Monitor Radio, Cairo Today Magazine, The Jordan Times, The Middletown Press, The New Haven Register, Oregon Business Magazine, the Reed College Alumni Magazine, and Marketplace (twice — 1994-2001 & 2008-present).

Mitchell has gone on strike (Newspaper Guild vs. Knight Ridder, Philadelphia, 1985) and helped organize a union (with SAG-AFTRA at Marketplace, 2021-23). Mitchell once interviewed Marcel Marceau and got him to talk.

Latest Stories (2,024)

Super Tuesday results shed light on economic issues

Mar 7, 2012
Now that Super Tuesday has played out, we're getting a sharper focus on what voters care about most. Six in ten voters considered the economy the top issue.

Legalize drugs? VP Biden says no.

Mar 6, 2012
In Mexico, Vice President Biden signals the administration is not open to changing drug policy.

Tornado influx hurts communities in South, Midwest

Mar 6, 2012
They're mourning loved ones and assessing damage across the Midwest and South this week, in the aftermath of as many as 80 tornadoes, that left 40 people dead.

BP plans to move forward after settlement

Mar 5, 2012
The big oil company BP has settled with thousands of Gulf Coast residents and businesses for their economic losses and medical claims from its massive 2010 oil spill -- to the tune of $7.8 billion.

Rush Limbaugh loses advertisers over comments

Mar 5, 2012
Over the weekend, conservative talk-radio host Rush Limbaugh publicly apologized for the language he's been using to attack a Georgetown law student.

AT&T sets new limit on 'unlimited' data plans

Mar 2, 2012
Company "throttles" or slows down data for users who hit the limit. To get back up to speed, they'll have to pay for more data.

What is the wealth gap?

Mar 1, 2012
Those at the top have an increasingly bigger share, while middle and low incomes stagnate.

The middle class? Not what it used to be

Feb 29, 2012
It used to be that the middle class meant "doing well," and reaching the American Dream. What does "middle class" mean these days?

The economy and elections: Ghosts of the past

Feb 28, 2012
We look back at three big economic issues that have swayed elections in recent memory.

What is poverty? Think beyond the official number

Feb 28, 2012
Many who are technically living above the poverty line in the United States actually can’t afford to pay for basic needs like clothing and food.