This blog is where we analyze business history podcasts and longform journalism using the “Big Ideas” from the Major Problems book: (1) complexity; (2) capitalism; (3) business, state, and society; and (4) unintended consequences and unacknowledged assumptions (MP, 8). Posts should be 500-700 words and include an image. The sample post on shopping malls is the model I want you to follow.
Your name and the big ideas should appear in bold.
Add off-site links using the “chain” icon.
Use “Add Media” to upload a picture.
You can use the Big Ideas and time periods as “categories.” Use keywords for your specific post as “tags.”
Block quotes should be formatted using the “ button and will display like this:
This is a block quote copied from an article or transcription. Set text apart as a block quote if it runs to more than four lines of text. Shorter quotations can be embedded in your text and identified using only quotation marks. It will not be necessary to footnote block quotes in a blog post, provided that the source is already linked and is identified in your text.
Here’s where you can find podcasts and stories to analyze. A qualifying episode or story must include substantial information about business in the United States before the year 2000.
Podcasts
Hidden History of Business
http://hiddenhistoryofbusiness.com/index.php/category/podcasts/
Who Makes Cents
https://whomakescentspodcast.com/
Freakonomics “history”
http://freakonomics.com/?s=history
The Uncertain Hour
https://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=476015630
Longform business
https://longform.org/sections/business
Made By History (only some are business-related)
https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/made-by-history/?utm_term=.552de879e97a
Note: Not every story at those sites qualifies for this assignment. Click around until you find something interesting. You are also free to find podcasts or articles elsewhere! Podcasts should be at least 10 minutes long; articles at least 1,500 words. If you are not sure whether a story qualifies, send me a link and I will evaluate it. If you choose something that another member of the class has already written up, your analysis will have to go in a completely different direction.
Due dates (but you are welcome to post early!):
Sept. 11
Oct. 25
Nov. 15