Jonathan Rosenthal
Jonathan Rosenthal examines how global finance, banks and energy markets intersect with political change and economic development. He is The Economist’s international correspondent, building on earlier leadership roles overseeing coverage of Africa and international banking. His work on the finance beat is distinguished by a systemic view of how financial structures, regulation and capital flows shape economies over decades rather than days.
Global banks and financial systems
Rosenthal has spent much of his career scrutinising global banks, the plumbing of the financial system and the rules that govern them. He joined The Economist in 2005 to cover business and finance and went on to lead coverage of international banks and financial regulation in the aftermath of the global financial crisis. His reporting on the crisis era and its fallout includes close looks inside major banks and the mess created by complex balance sheets and weak supervision, work that earned him industry recognition as an award-winning journalist.
He also follows the evolution of market structure and financial technology. In “Rise of the robotraders” he explores how electronic and algorithmic trading transformed derivatives markets, explaining the mechanics of high-frequency trading and its implications for volatility and oversight. Across this strand of his work he links detailed reporting on institutions and trading practices to the broader stability of the financial system and the real-world effects on businesses and households.
Energy, commodities and volatile markets
Rosenthal’s finance coverage extends into energy and commodity markets, looking at how price swings feed through into geopolitics and development. In his article on oil prices and OPEC negotiations, he examines why crude prices remain volatile even when producers strike deals, focusing on the interplay between global demand, supply responses and investor behaviour. He brings the same analytical approach to the financing of the energy transition, particularly in emerging markets.
Drawing on decades of experience reporting on development finance, he has written about the challenge of funding a just energy transition that fits the realities of African economies, stressing the constraints faced by governments and lenders. This thread in his work connects commodity cycles, climate policy and financial engineering, showing how decisions in capital markets and multilateral institutions shape the speed and fairness of the shift to cleaner energy.
Africa’s economies and long-term development
Africa has been a central focus of Rosenthal’s journalism. As Africa editor he oversaw The Economist’s coverage of sub-Saharan Africa with a team of reporters, guiding reporting on politics, economics and business across the continent. He has written influential special reports on Africa, including “The African Century”, which examines the continent’s demographic boom, growth prospects and the structural reforms needed to turn potential into sustained prosperity.
His articles on Africa often track how access to finance, banking reforms and global capital flows affect investment and job creation, tying macro themes to the lived experience of firms and citizens. He brings a development finance lens to topics such as infrastructure investment, sovereign debt and the role of multilateral institutions, making clear both the risks and opportunities facing African economies as they integrate more deeply into global markets.
Special reports and long-form analysis
Rosenthal is a regular author of The Economist’s special reports, which allow him to develop deep, multi-article analyses of complex financial and economic themes. On banking, his work on “International Banking: Retail Renaissance” explores how retail banks are reshaping their business models, technology and customer relationships in response to competition and regulatory change. His special reports on Africa similarly blend data, case studies and interviews to map long-term shifts in demographics, urbanisation and capital flows.
Beyond the magazine, he is a frequent speaker and moderator on Africa and international banking, and appears on The Economist’s podcasts to discuss global economic trends and financial topics. Having previously served as international editor as well as Africa editor, international banking editor and European business and finance correspondent, he brings a broad, cross-regional perspective to every project. For stories that sit at the intersection of global banking, emerging-market development and energy or commodity markets, his reporting combines detailed institutional knowledge with a clear, explanatory style.
4 more finance journalists.
Abba Ihonde
Abba Ihonde is a content writer for Guardian Digital at The Guardian whose beat sits where crypto, fintech and mainstream finance meet. He focuses on how cryptocurrencies, trading platforms and digital tools are reshaping business and finance, especially through regulation, crypto policy and their impact on financial services. His explainer pieces follow the practical realities of traders, importers and growing businesses, tracking everyday crypto use in cross-border trade and the turn to stablecoins. He reports on retail trading platforms and market education, drawing on experience in cryptocurrency futures trading and earlier SEO analysis and editing roles to keep finance coverage clear and structured. Abba also writes on business visibility in the digital economy, policy and tax technology, and takes on broader news and lifestyle assignments, from security incidents to celebrity weddings.
Adam Clark
Adam Clark links fast-moving moves in global markets with clear, stock-focused takeaways for investors, combining breaking news with thematic analysis across equities and commodities. He is a reporter at Barron's, covering breaking news and markets, a role he took on in 2022 after five years with Dow Jones Newswires. His beat is how individual stocks, sectors and major indices react to shifts in the economy, monetary policy and corporate strategy, and what those moves mean for portfolios. He covers real-time moves in leading stocks and indices, high-profile names such as Alphabet and Newmont, and themes like technology volatility and gold market resets. He works in fast-turn news and longer market features, drawing on experience as reporter, editor and Insight columnist across print and digital platforms linked to Dow Jones brands.
Alasdair Ferguson
Alasdair Ferguson is a multimedia journalist at The National whose finance reporting is defined by a strong focus on culture, heritage and history. He uses archives, museums and cultural institutions to tell contemporary stories, linking public money and policy to how Scotland understands its past. He covers finance, culture, heritage, sport, arts and civic campaigns, often showing how decisions and events affect daily life and national identity. His work includes pieces on historic conflicts, museum photo releases, lost music, football history, large-scale supporter travel, arts festivals, television industry shifts and grassroots independence campaigns. He reports through news, features and multimedia, including podcast and video interviews. Across formats, he relies on concrete historical material, scholarly research and institutional sources to foreground why discoveries and campaigns matter now.
Alec Whitaker
Alec Whitaker is a senior court reporter for The Westmorland Gazette and also writes for The Mail. He stands out for reporting criminal cases in a tight, court-led way that links offences to fines, bans, compensation and other legal outcomes. His core beat is magistrates’ and crown court hearings, with regular coverage of theft, drugs, motoring offences, harassment, stalking and robbery. He reports on how the justice system turns behaviour into sentences and financial penalties, from short theft cases to serious drug charges. His pieces give the charge, the hearing, the pleas and the final order in plain terms. He also covers inquests and other court proceedings, and his work has included reporting for The Mail, The Westmorland Gazette and the North West Evening Mail.