MIAMI — A common misconception about business journalism is that it only revolves around mundane and boring numbers and statistics that we see circling the stock ticker on TV. But business journalism covers everything from life and art, to politics and technology, just through a financial scope.

Wall Street Journal staffers Kimberly Johnson and Bowdeya Tweh, however, said even a general grasp of the stock market would aid in overall knowledge of the world.

“Having a basic understanding of how markets and companies work can elevate your reporting,” Tweh told an audience at “Bulls and Bears: Taking Fear out of Financial Journalism,” a discussion at the National Association of Black Journalists convention, aimed at simplifying business reporting for the average consumer.

They also wanted to encourage more black journalists to consider careers in financial reporting

Tweh and Johnson suggested websites to help with the process, such as the Securities & Exchange Commission (www.sec.gov) for business filings, and the Bureau of Labor Statistics (www.bls.gov) for job and economic data.

When these large topics are broken down and the necessary tools are given to the reader, they said, it allows the information to be absorbed with ease.

A contingent of Morgan State University students representing the School of Global Journalism and Communication are attending and covering the annual National Association of Black Journalists in Miami. This story is part of that coverage.