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)

Military under fire for biblical gunsights

Jan 20, 2010
The military is scrambling to decide what to do about some of the gunsights it's been buying for the Army and Marines. References to biblical passages are inscribed on them. Mitchell Hartman reports.

States owe billions in unemployment

Jan 20, 2010
A ProPublica study shows half of the state unemployment systems in the U.S. are deeply in debt. So far, states have borrowed $25 billion from the Feds in order to keep paying laid-off workers. Mitchell Hartman explores states' repayment options.

J&J in trouble over alleged kickbacks

Jan 15, 2010
The U.S. Justice Department is charging Johnson & Johnson with paying millions to a big pharmacy company in order to increase sales of its prescription drugs. Mitchell Hartman reports.

Figure skating won't slip from ratings

Jan 15, 2010
U.S. figure skating doesn't enjoy the same mega-ratings it did when it boasted names like Nancy Kerrigan and Tonya Harding. But as the top sport in the Olympic Winter Games, fans are still expected to tune in. Mitchell Hartman reports.

Foreign companies struggle in China

Jan 14, 2010
Whatever its censorship policies, China's legal protections for foreign companies are better than they used to be. But there are still many other obstacles to overcome, and China risks soiling its business reputation. Mitchell Hartman reports.

Signs of economy improving in retail?

Jan 7, 2010
Big retail chains have been reporting how their stores did in December, and the overall numbers have been better than expected. Does that mean the overall economy is improving? Mitchell Hartman reports.

Will consumers jump into 3-D TVs?

Jan 5, 2010
ESPN is going to launch a new 3-D channel. With 3-D movies like "Avatar" busting out at the box office, will we all need new TVs and set-top boxes to watch? Mitchell Hartman reports.

Chinese sports brand dips foot in U.S.

Jan 4, 2010
China's top sportswear brand, Li Ning, is opening a store in Portland. Will it be able to compete with more familiar brands like Nike? Mitchell Hartman reports.

Nexus One will be iPhone competitor

Dec 31, 2009
With features like a touchscreen, wi-fi Web access and apps galore, Google's Nexus One smart phone is in line to be a hard rival to Apple's iPhone. Mitchell Hartman explores why certain features may offer up the tough competition.

Premiums to put FDIC back in black

Dec 30, 2009
The FDIC is collecting three-years' worth of premiums it charges to banks so that it can restore its depleted insurance fund. Mitchell Hartman reports.