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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 (2,055)

What's the LIBOR?

Dec 8, 2008
The credit markets are still stuck tight, according to the usual gauge people look at -- the LIBOR index. It used to be a pretty obscure financial benchmark that only mattered to bank bureaucrats. But not any more. Mitchell Hartman explains.

Hedge funds, decoded

Dec 3, 2008
Hedge funds seem to make headlines when things go bad on a trading day. But what are these funds and how do they really affect the stock market? Mitchell Hartman explains the term in our latest Marketplace Decoder.

Logging on to college

Nov 21, 2008
Layoffs and lower costs are driving more students towards the virtual classroom. Marketplace's Mitchell Hartman reports on the state of online degree programs.

Bailout isn't helping out the little guy

Nov 20, 2008
Congress will grill the Treasury today on what small business is getting out of the $700 billion bailout. Mitchell Hartman reports for some small businesses, things have gotten worse since the financial bailout began.

The best states for starting a business

Nov 19, 2008
A new report ranks states by the climate for new economic growth. Mitchell Hartman reports why Massachusetts, Washington and Maryland, among others, provide a supportive environment for start-ups.

Starting a business in a bad economy

Nov 18, 2008
Global Entrepreneurship Week has events in 77 countries. But is now the time to start a business, when the economy is shrinking? Mitchell Hartman finds out.

HUD selling homes for $1

Nov 7, 2008
The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development has a deal to buy a house for $1. The catch: the homes can only be sold to local governments for neighborhood rehabilitation. Mitchell Hartman reports.

Entrepreneurs talk about their feelings

Nov 4, 2008
Small business owners, does the current economy make you feel powerless or afraid? If so, you're not alone. Marketplace Entrepreneurship reporter Mitchell Hartman attended a peer advisory group where entrepreneurs get help coping with the turmoil in the business world.

Financial crisis is spoiling organics

Nov 3, 2008
Organic food might be good for your health but, as a consumer, it's not so good for your budget. High-end Whole Foods market is cutting expansion plans in response to a more frugal shopping public. Mitchell Hartman reports.

This financial crisis is getting spooky

Oct 30, 2008
The sense of dread in the financial world is no treat, but it'll be a main theme among the tricks played during tomorrow's Halloween festivities. Mitchell Hartman reports on people spooked by the economic crisis who are dressing the part.