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)

Are offshore tax shelters fraud — or just shady?

Aug 1, 2006
A Senate report released today finds that more and more extremely wealthy taxpayers are hiding their money in offshore accounts. But is it fraud? Scott Tong reports.

Offshore drilling's a gamble

Aug 1, 2006
The Senate is expected to pass a bill today opening the Gulf of Mexico to more oil and natural drilling. But will it actually take us toward energy independence? Scott Tong reports.

Bush's new neighbor

Aug 1, 2006
President Bush heads to Crawford, Texas for his annual "working vacation" later this week. And he'll have a new neighbor: war protestor Cindy Sheehan. Scott Tong reports.

Offshore drilling debate goes on

Jul 31, 2006
The Senate votes today on whether to expand offshore drilling in the US, but the bill's not quite as generous as the version the House passed. Scott Tong reports.

Putting the squeeze on middle managers

Jul 28, 2006
A huge legal fight is underway to define employees whose positions are between the managers and the worker bees. Scott Tong reports that the government is expected to give management a huge victory.

Cox on the spot

Jul 25, 2006
SEC chairman Chris Cox goes before lawmakers today to answer questions about a possible politically motivated squelching of an insider trading investigation. Scott Tong reports.

Ivory-billed work stoppage

Jul 21, 2006
A federal judge halts work on $320 million irrigation project to protect a rare woodpecker. Pro-business lawmakers call it an example of the Endangered Species Act run amok. Scott Tong reports.

Regulating Hollywood's sex scenes

Jul 20, 2006
New requirements for TV and movie studios could be on the way. Today the Senate considers a bill that would require Hollywood to keep record of ages of the actors in all those steamy sex scenes. Scott Tong reports.

Government workers' spending was a disaster, too

Jul 19, 2006
Investigators say workers in the Homeland Security Department wasted hundreds of thousands of dollars in the wake of Hurricane Katrina. Scott Tong reports.

Government workers abused Smart Pay

Jul 19, 2006
It wasn't just everyday citizens taking advantage of disaster relief chaos in the wake of Hurricane Katrina. Now auditors report tales of wasteful spending by Homeland Security workers. Scott Tong reports.