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Portrait of Talmon Joseph Smith

Talmon Joseph Smith

Depending on the day, week or month, I may be covering breaking news related to key economic data, traveling across the country to write about a community that is representative of a broader economic trend, or staring into my laptop all day, making phone calls, working on an explanatory or investigative article. If something relates to the distribution of people, money and power, chances are it is of interest to me.

Before joining Business, I worked as a staff editor in the Opinion section, editing columnists and regular contributors as well as commissioning guest essays from a variety of outside voices about economics, policy and culture. I graduated from Tufts University in 2016 and afterward worked as a visiting scholar at the N.Y.U. Journalism Institute. While in college, I completed an internship at a Washington-based nonpartisan think tank on campaign finance, tracking networks of moneyed influence and evaluating the economic arguments of corporate lobbyists engaged with both sides of the political aisle. Before joining The Times in 2018, I worked at GQ Magazine. I was born and raised in New Orleans.

Times journalists are committed to upholding the standards of integrity outlined in our Ethical Journalism Handbook. I make a personal choice not to belong to a political party, and I do not involve myself with any organization that advocates on issues that I cover. I do not give political contributions or participate in political events or protests. I protect my sources and the information they provide me with as much care as possible. I work hard to be accurate, independent and honest with readers, even when the substance of my stories may point to uncomfortable realities. I make efforts to understand issues from multiple angles. When I am formally interviewing people, I always identify myself as a reporter for The Times.

Please contact me by email, or through direct message on X, formerly known as Twitter. Feel free to nudge me if I miss you the first time.

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    Is the Boom-and-Bust Business Cycle Dead?

    There is a growing view that the U.S. business cycle has changed (for better) in a more diversified economy. To some, that sounds like tempting fate.

    By Talmon Joseph Smith

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