Connecting the dots on global news events is a crucial component of what distinguishes the Financial Times from competing US news publications – particularly in industries like energy, which sits at the intersection of business and geopolitics. And the exceptional reach of our editorial network – 600 journalists worldwide – is a testament to our commitment to delivering the full picture.
To gain a deeper understanding of what sets our industry coverage apart from competitors’, we consulted the expert: US Industry and Energy Editor Ed Crooks, who has covered the energy beat for the FT since 2006. We asked Ed about our editorial strengths, his writing process, and why you should be reading his weekly Energy Source newsletter.
What’s Energy Source?
Delivered to inboxes every Friday, Energy Source is your guide to the week’s top energy news, commentary and analysis – the perfect capstone to understanding and contextualizing the industry developments you’ve read about on FT.com.
With an FT Corporate Subscription, you and your colleagues can enjoy Energy Source, alongside the rest of our leading journalism. To jump in and trial FT.com free for your team, please contact us.
What role does the FT fulfill in the US media market?
Our crucial strengths are two-fold: one is global perspective, and having this network of extremely knowledgeable and talented people around the world who really know the industries that they cover in great depth and detail. Two is editorially having the ability to make connections between different industries in different parts of the world.
We are the paper that would see before others what the Fukushima disaster meant for the cost of natural gas in the United Kingdom, or what China’s push to control air pollution means for oil production in Texas.
Making those connections is very important – particularly in energy, which is a truly global industry with a commodity that is traded absolutely everywhere. Possibly more than any other industry, energy is one where having a global perspective is essential.
What inspired the Energy Source newsletter?
It was perceived that one of the most popular formats for the electronic delivery of news is one of the oldest: email. A lot of people like to get their news that way.
We realized that an email product would be an important strand to our coverage and what we offer our readers. And so it has proven.
What does Energy Source offer that readers won’t get from trade publications?
It has a very broad perspective on the energy industry as a whole, and does try to tease out connections between things and explain what some of the relationships are across disparate parts of the energy landscape – and find the best sources from a wide range of different outlets [including analyst reports, academic papers, blogs and social media] that will explain what’s going on and give pointers as to what happens next.
What do subscribers like most about Energy Source?
The Director of the Center on Global Energy Policy at Columbia University said: “I read Energy Source every week to make sure I’m up to speed on the most consequential news, studies and events across the full range of energy issues, from oil and gas to clean energy.”
Another reader from one of the oil and gas “supermajors” told me, “Energy Source is a must-read for anyone interested in global energy markets: timely, objective and always insightful.”
What are the major industry stories you’re watching right now?
From a US-facing perspective, the important trends are:
- The US emerging as an increasingly important exporter of oil and gas.
- Plus, the competition between the US and Russia over selling gas to Europe.
- Efforts by China to clean up its air and reduce its reliance on coal.
- Saudi Arabia looking to expand oil and gas production overseas.
- The debate over the Green New Deal.
Read up: In January, Ed offered his predictions for five important trends to watch in the world of energy in 2019. If you’re not an FT subscriber, contact us and we’ll be in touch about access for you and your team.
Are there any plans to further enhance Energy Source in 2019?
Given that is has been quite a significant success, we are thinking about developing new ideas for ways we can build and expand on it. Watch this space!
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