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)

CIT will work through reorganization

Nov 2, 2009
Despite a $2 billion bailout from Washington last year, CIT Group has succumbed to Chapter 11 bankruptcy. Mitchell Hartman reports.

The impact of CIT's bankruptcy

Nov 2, 2009
CIT group filed for the fifth-largest bankruptcy in U.S. history, which will affect a whole lot to small- and mid-sized companies. Mitchell Hartman reports.

Domain names to use more languages

Oct 30, 2009
The Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers is going to start allowing Web sites to register domains in languages that don't use the English alphabet. Mitchell Hartman translates what those changes will mean for business.

Another extension for jobless benefits?

Oct 29, 2009
The Senate may take up a bill to extend benefits for more than a million unemployed Americans -- the fourth such extension. Mitchell Hartman reports.

Taxes picking up tab for Amtrak losses

Oct 27, 2009
A Pew study released today finds that the average government subsidy on an Amtrak ticket is $32. That's four times higher than the subsidy figure Amtrak has come up with. Mitchell Hartman reports.

Junk yards overloaded with clunkers

Oct 27, 2009
The clunkers that were traded in over the summer in exchange for a government rebate are clogging up junk yards. Mitchell Hartman reports.

Profits are down, but tech stocks are up

Oct 23, 2009
Even though profits are down for Microsoft and other tech companies, their performances have been called "better than expected" and their stock prices are climbing again. Why? Mitchell Hartman reports.

Advocates fight for 'underbanked'

Oct 23, 2009
At a conference in Washington, consumer advocates and lawmakers will turn a spotlight on the so-called "underbanked," people who don't even have a bank account. Mitchell Hartman reports.

Sports programs hope for funding score

Oct 22, 2009
Youth sports programs have seen billions cut from their budgets, so advocates are in Washington to seek funding help. Mitchell Hartman reports.

Looking for a niche with the Nook

Oct 20, 2009
Barnes & Noble is entering the e-reader market with the Nook. What's it got that Amazon's Kindle and the others don't? Mitchell Hartman reports.