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 (2,023)

U.S. promotes Muslim entrepreneurship

Apr 26, 2010
President Obama's Summit on Entrepreneurship is helping put the spotlight on U.S. economic ties with Muslim nations. As Mitchell Hartman reports, there are big opportunities for U.S. firms that work with Muslim entrepreneurs.

Expiring tax credits drive home buying

Apr 22, 2010
A new report says monthly sales of previously occupied homes increased 6.8%. With government tax credits about to expire, this may be the last good news the housing market gets for a while. Mitchell Hartman reports.

U.S. Treasury unveils new $100 bill

Apr 21, 2010
The U.S. $100 bill is a favorite for counterfeiters abroad. So the U.S. Treasury is giving Ben Franklin a facelift with embedded images, making it harder to duplicate. The actual bills are due out later this year. Mitchell Hartman reports.

Volcanic ash hurts U.S. exports, imports

Apr 19, 2010
The volcanic ash that's wreaking havoc in Europe is having an economic impact in the U.S. Companies are reporting inventory levels falling to dangerously low levels as supplies sit in European airports. Mitchell Hartman reports.

SEC charges Goldman Sachs with fraud

Apr 16, 2010
The Securities and Exchange Commission filed its first big lawsuit over alleged Wall Street shenanigans. The SEC charges that Goldman Sachs gave special attention to one client, at the expense of hundreds of others. Mitchell Hartman reports.

Have we hit another bubble?

Apr 16, 2010
The economy is still on shaky ground, yet the Dow is up again, which begs the question: Are we in a stock market bubble? Mitchell Hartman reports.

Tribune could do better in the long run

Apr 12, 2010
Sam Zell's aggressive cost-cutting measures didn't prevent the Tribune company from filing for Chapter 11. Now the company is making a plan to emerge from bankruptcy, and it may find itself in good shape down the road. Mitchell Hartman reports.

More real estate sites go after renters

Apr 7, 2010
Trulia.com, one of the top search Web sites for home buyers, is moving into the rental business. It joins a growing crowd of online sites that are jumping into the rental market. Mitchell Hartman reports.

Not all college athletes' costs covered

Apr 6, 2010
Even if a college athlete gets a full ride, expenses beyond tuition, meals and housing typically aren't covered. How does the average Division I scholarship athlete deal with $2,700 a year out-of-pocket? Mitchell Hartman reports.

Personal bankruptcy filings increase

Apr 2, 2010
More people are filing for bankruptcy than any time since the recession began. And some filers are deciding to walk away from their deeply underwater homes through bankruptcy. Kai Ryssdal talks to reporter Mitchell Hartman about what's behind the increase.