David Erickson
David Erickson covers the intersection of business, housing and public institutions, explaining how economic decisions by companies and governments shape everyday life in the communities he reports on. He is the business and housing reporter at the Missoulian, with a brief that extends into healthcare, politics, crime, the outdoors and government. His stories lean on detailed reporting about specific businesses, properties and agencies, making complex economic and regulatory changes accessible through concrete local examples.
Local businesses, retail and food service
Erickson regularly reports on openings, closures and ownership changes among restaurants, bars and cafes, including coverage of a downtown restaurant and bar closing while a tacos concept takes over the space and a long-running local cafe being listed for sale.
His business pieces on these transitions describe the history and community role of established venues alongside the financial and strategic considerations driving new tenants and owners. He tracks how changes in tenancy, branding and investment signal broader trends in downtown commerce, from the fate of legacy establishments to the emergence of new concepts looking to capture foot traffic and evolving tastes.
His business reporting also extends to companies in sectors such as aviation, where he has chronicled how an aerial firefighting firm adjusts its operations and fleet in response to more frequent and intense wildfire seasons, tying corporate strategy to changing environmental risks and the facilities at a regional airport.
Housing, development and economic projects
Erickson’s beat includes housing coverage, where he reports on issues of affordability, development and the reuse of significant properties. In work republished through partnerships, he has documented efforts to transform a shuttered mill site into a new economic engine, explaining how environmental remediation, Superfund designation and private investment interact in plans to restore jobs and the local tax base. That reporting situates redevelopment proposals within longer histories of industrial use, contamination and regulatory oversight, giving readers a clear picture of what is at stake for nearby residents and local government.
Across housing and development stories, he connects land use decisions and major projects to their economic impact on communities, returning to themes of opportunity, risk and the balance between growth and environmental responsibility.
Institutions, law and accountability
Beyond business and housing, Erickson reports on politics, government, criminal and civil law and the broader environment in which local institutions operate. He approaches these assignments with an investigative frame, focusing on how government bodies, politicians, businesses and nonprofits wield power and influence over the communities they serve. His description of the work emphasizes scrutiny of institutions rather than personalities, underscoring a commitment to examining decision-making, transparency and the consequences of policy choices. Coverage in these areas complements his business reporting, as stories about regulation, legal disputes or public spending often intersect with the economic and housing issues he follows, giving his body of work a consistent focus on accountability and material impact.
4 more business journalists.
Aaron Karp
Aaron Karp is distinct for connecting airline networks, airport infrastructure, air cargo and policy. He is a senior editor at Air Transport World and has covered aviation since 1999. He has also worked as an editor for cargo-focused and daily aviation publications. His real beat is how airlines and airports respond to growth, regulation, trade conditions, sustainability pressures and technology changes. He covers route planning, network development, airport capacity, infrastructure, cargo flows, trade lanes, safety, air traffic control and future technology. He reports through news, features, opinion pieces, briefings and podcasts. He uses data, executive insight and industry conference reporting to explain market changes. His work links cargo metrics and trade policy to carrier strategy, and connects infrastructure and sustainability decisions to resilience, costs and long-term growth.
Adrienne Roberts
Adrienne Roberts is a business journalist at the Detroit Free Press who covers how policy, regulation and corporate decisions affect Michigan’s cannabis market, jobs, universities and health systems. She has a sustained focus on cannabis taxes, licensing, sales, product rules, consumer safety and local tax revenue. She also reports on unemployment, worker protections, corporate settlements, hiring, higher education, student safety, housing, data centers, health care access and economic forecasts. Roberts joined the Detroit Free Press in 2020 after covering automotive retail, dealers and labor issues for The Wall Street Journal. She explains complex business and regulatory changes with data, legal detail and on-the-ground voices. Her stories focus on practical effects for workers, students, consumers and communities, showing both the numbers and the people behind them.
Alex Bronzini-Vender
Alex Bronzini-Vender is a business reporter who focuses on how economic forces and corporate decisions shape specific communities and industries. He covers business for the Washington Monthly, writing reported pieces at the intersection of commerce and public life. His work reflects the magazine’s emphasis on linking markets and money to power, policy, and everyday experience. He treats business not as balance sheets and deals but as choices that affect local realities. In “Fear and Loathing in Palo Alto,” he uses a city tied to the tech sector to examine how a powerful industry influences a community. He grounds his business beat in on-the-ground consequences rather than treating corporate and financial developments in isolation.
Alex DeMarban
Alex DeMarban stands out for tracking major energy projects over time while showing how economic shifts affect local businesses. He reports for the Anchorage Daily News on business, oil and gas, and general assignments. His coverage focuses on Alaska LNG, long-haul energy projects, mining, ports, transportation infrastructure, and the everyday businesses that keep the state running. He examines financing, tax legislation, labor agreements, regulatory approvals, timelines and costs, and connects government and corporate decisions to workers, communities and consumers. He also reports on restaurant closures, grocery stores, breweries, meaderies, parking and trade disputes. His past coverage includes an open-pit mine near the proposed Ambler road, federal port grants and competitive elections. He reports through dollar figures, project details, public records, business owners and affected workers, showing how policy and resource development play out on the ground.