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 (2,010)

Advertisers not fully sold on MySpace

Aug 4, 2008
Social networks like MySpace offer marketers the ability to target messages precisely, but many are still leery of the unpredictable content their ads will be seen alongside. Mitchell Hartman reports.

The value of Yahoo beyond its search

Aug 1, 2008
Yahoo! holds its annual shareholder meeting today in San Jose, and the company's stock has been languishing. But despite losing the search engine wars to Google, Yahoo offers a lot of value. Mitchell Hartman reports.

Congress thoroughly takes on college

Jul 31, 2008
Today, Congress is expected to look at laws governing higher education. The measure would cover everything from student loans to campus security, and sponsors say it would help rein college costs. Mitchell Hartman reports.

Seeking more small business money

Jul 30, 2008
Congress is looking over a federal program that gives up to $2 billion a year to small businesses, which will run out in September. Mitchell Hartman reports just one area where the program has had success.

Pacific salmon supply drying up

Jul 29, 2008
Salmon fisheries in the Pacific Northwest are in serious trouble and dwindling supply means fish markets and restaurants are scrambling to find an alternative for their customers. Mitchell Hartman reports.

Making safe deposits at your bank

Jul 25, 2008
Big losses at banks across the country have depositors nervous. How can you make sure that your bank is secure? Mitchell Hartman reports.

Bringing in business on foot

Jul 18, 2008
High gas prices have made areas where it's easy to walk around increasingly popular. What does all that foot traffic mean for local businesses? Mitchell Hartman reports.

Natural gas prices set to spike

Jul 17, 2008
High oil prices are driving up demand for natural gas, meaning some customers could be spending as much as 40 percent more to heat their homes this winter. Mitchell Hartman reports.

Scraping by on minimum wage

Oct 19, 2006
Oregon has one of the highest minimum wages in the country. Mitchell Hartman reports from Portland on how recipients are getting by on $7.50 an hour.

Portland going 100% renewable

Aug 30, 2006
Portland, Ore. is throwing all its weight into the fight against global warming by promising to run on 100% renewable energy starting next year. Mitchell Hartman reports.