It’s the job of a journalist to bring light to stories and people, but it’s not often they are in the spotlight.

At PritchittBland Communications we run a special blog series where we put the spotlight on Australian financial journalists and dig a little deeper to find out where they’ve come from and what drives a good story. See it from their perspective and read the interview with our next guest, Aleks Vickovich, editor-in-chief at Conexus Financial.

Why did you decide to go into journalism?

I was planning on pursuing an academic career but came to realise I lacked the patience for long-form content or tertiary referencing. Luckily, impatience is a character flaw well-suited to the 24/hour news cycle. And if you can’t be a historian, being a witness to history as it unfolds is a pretty sound alternative.

What about the finance industry interests you the most?

My hunch was that finance would allow a front row seat to the great civilisational clashes I was most interested in – capital vs. labour, the allocation of resources, demographic and social change. It is not possible to truly understand power without understanding money, and good journalism is ultimately about analysing power and holding it to account. Given it is so heavily regulated, I suspected finance would also inherently political, and I have followed party politics as a sport since childhood.

All of this turned out to be true, but what I didn’t foresee or expect was how much I would enjoy the people who work in financial services. It might be a sweeping generalisation but they are mostly what I would call ‘school captain’ types -not quite the dux (excluding a handful of CIOs) but clever, competent, even compassionate, and a pleasure to engage with most of the time. A far cry from the Gordon Gekko stereotype in my experience.

What are you looking forward to seeing happen in the financial landscape in the next 5years?

The biggest development in financial services over the next 5 years will continue to be the rise and rise of superannuation mega-funds, which is already arguably the story in Australian business. We should be proud of our unique and ever-contentious super system, but equally awake to emerging systemic risks from privatisation of portfolios and markets and reliance on third-party investment and technology suppliers. Naturally, I do not “look forward” to any development that might cause consumers harm, but it will continue to be a privilege to witness this history up close.

What makes a good story?

Timeliness, proximity, impact and - as longtime readers will appreciate - my personal favourite, conflict.

What advice would you give to executives when they are talking to the media?

Learn the rules of engagement around on- and off-the-record communications. For a business leader to have a productive and mutually respectful relationship with the press it is essential they are fluent in both. While it will always be a thrill for a journo to get outspoken or loose comments, ultimately, it is appropriate for an executive or politician to choose their words carefully and be respectful of their stakeholders in a formal interview setting. After all, words matter, and the media will analyse every one of them.

However, it is not appropriate to then offer those same weasel words or scripted talking points when the recorder is switched off. Find a journalist you can trust, take them for lunch, and tell them things that are interesting and true, about your organisation or others. Off-record news tips and backgrounding are not just idle gossip but a sign that you value the function of the fourth estate and the function of transparent markets and democratic institutions. At least, that’s what I tell my sources ;)

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