Scott Tong

Correspondent

SHORT BIO

Scott Tong is a former correspondent for Marketplace. He reported on sustainability issues (energy, climate, environment, resources) for Marketplace, as well as the U.S.-China technology relationship, frequently described as “fraught.” He is Marketplace’s former China bureau chief.

What was your first job?

English-language audiotape (yes, tape) voice-over work. Sixth grade.Taiwan.

What advice do you wish someone had given you before you started this career?

Show up an hour before the interview.

Fill in the blank: Money can’t buy you happiness, but it can buy you ______.

Gas for kid carpools; Washington Capitals hockey tickets.

What is something that everyone should own, no matter how much it costs?

Smoker (plus wooden slotted spoon).

What’s your most memorable Marketplace moment?

Sneaking into Burma for twenty bucks.

Latest Stories (1,339)

Record trade deficit not <i>all</i> bad news

Oct 12, 2006
Soaring oil prices sent the U.S. trade deficit to a record of almost $70 billion in August. But the government says record imports of oil sank a healthy gain in U.S. exports. Scott Tong reports.

Attention, we have a deficit disorder

Oct 12, 2006
Another day, another record. But this time we're not talking about the Dow. The U.S. imported $70 billion more than we exported in August. Scott Tong looks at what's behind our sky-high trade deficit.

Don't underestimate the cost of your commute

Oct 11, 2006
A new study suggests we better figure commuting costs into the equation when we decide where to live. They matter a whole lot, especially in less expensive cities. Scott Tong explains.

Imclone chief resigns

Oct 10, 2006
Drug maker Imclone is back in the news. Chairman David Kies quit this morning over an ugly board fight involving activist investor and board member Carl Icahn. Scott Tong has the story.

New inflation thinking captures Nobel Prize

Oct 9, 2006
Columbia University professor Edmund Phelps won the Nobel Prize for Economics this morning for his study of inflation and how it relates to unemployment. Scott Tong has the story.

We want your vote -- and we'll pay for it

Oct 6, 2006
Election day is five weeks away. Get ready for an onslaught of flyers, pamphlets and phone calls. Now there's a new way to target voters -- and it has a lot to do with your personal finance, Scott Tong reports.

Air-passenger-data deal reached

Oct 6, 2006
U.S. and European officials have agreed on new rules governing how much personal data Europeans should provide to American authorities about people flying to the U.S. Scott Tong reports.

Is the legislative branch broken?

Oct 2, 2006
Congress is out until Election Day and politicians are back in their home districts buying ads and making speeches. But are they solving anything we really care about? Scott Tong reports.

Straight talk equals good business

Sep 27, 2006
A new study suggests that companies that speak plainer English in their earnings reports may actually perform better. Scott Tong reports.

Boeing takes aim at border security

Sep 20, 2006
Boeing just received a big contract to build a high-tech border fence for the government's Secure Border Initiative. Scott Tong looks at what the company's taking on in its bid to become a big player in the homeland security biz.