Finding Business Information

Business information is to be found in a variety of formats, whether they be printed or ‘held’ electronically. Whatever the format, the scope and coverage of each type of source will affect the level of detail and relative value of the information contained. More important, the reasons behind the compilation of the information will equally affect the information content. To give an example, newspapers are published to provide ‘news’. What is defined as ‘news’ is to a large extent determined by a newspaper’s editor and journalists. Hence ‘bad news is good news’. But equally, and especially in a business context, the provision of newsworthy information to a newspaper depends as much on the generation of press releases, annual reports, feature articles, etc. by companies taking advantage of the media system as on the more traditional investigative powers of journalists. So, ‘news management’ cannot only be used positively by publicity-minded (or publicly conscious) companies but also, in an apathetic or negative manner, by organisations wanting to maintain — either overall or in a specific area — a ‘low profile’. Thus, to state the obvious, one cannot usually read in the newspapers or business press what hasn’t been said or written or, in some way, vetted by the organisation concerned: at least as far as specific facts are concerned. That is not to say, as will be seen later, that opinion or surmise cannot equally be valid.