Three journalism alums lead discussion on the economy

Panelists Hudson, Evans and Jones. Photo by Patrick Hinely '73 for W&L.

The credit crisis, the press and presidential politics were the focus of a discussion Friday, May 2, featuring three Washington and Lee alumni with expertise in financial journalism.

Alex Jones, ’68, Michael Hudson, ’85, and Kelly Evans, ’07, anchored an Alumni Weekend  panel discussion entitled “It’s [Still] the Economy, Stupid!”   The event marked the fifth year of graduates from Washington and Lee’s  business-journalism program, which was made possible by a grant from the Donald W. Reynolds Foundation. Several graduates of the program returned to campus for the panel and other reunion events.

Jones, who also received a distinguished alumni award that weekend, is the Laurence M. Lombard Lecturer in the Press and Public Policy and Director of the Joan Shorenstein Center on the Press, Politics and Public Policy at Harvard University.   He covered the press for The New York Times from 1983-92 and was awarded the Pulitzer Prize in 1987. 

Hudson has been investigating the subprime business since 1992, reporting his findings for the Wall Street Journal, Los Angeles Times, New York Times, Washington Post, Mother Jones and other publications. This work has earned him many honors, including a John Hancock Award for business reporting, a Sidney Hillman Award for social justice journalism and a George Polk Award for magazine reporting. In November 2007, Mike left his job as a staff reporter at the Wall Street Journal to work as a senior investigator for the Center for Responsible Lending, a non-profit research and advocacy organization that's taken a leading role exposing predatory lending and pushing for solutions.

Evans is a reporter on the Wall Street Journal's nine-person global economics team. She started at the paper in June 2007, shortly after graduating from Washington & Lee. She is a frequent guest on television and radio programs across the country, including appearances on MSNBC, CNBC, ABC's Good Morning America, and National Public Radio.