The Economist does not print by-lines identifying the authors of articles other than surveys and special "by invitation" contribution. The editors say this is necessary because "collective voice and personality matter more than the identities of individual journalists." Authors refer to themselves within articles as "your correspondent" or "this reviewer."
The editorial staff enforces a uniform voice throughout its pages as if most articles were written by a single author, displaying dry, understated wit, and precise use of language. The paper's treatment of economics presumes a working familiarity with fundamental concepts of classical economics. For instance, it does not explain terms like invisible hand, macroeconomics, or demand curve, and may take just six or seven words to explain the theory of comparative advantage. However, articles involving economics do not presume any formal training on the part of the reader and aim to be accessible to the educated layperson. The newspaper usually does not translate short French quotes or phrases, and sentences in Ancient Greek or Latin are not uncommon. It does, however, describe the business or nature of even well-known entities; writing, for example, "Goldman Sachs, an investment bank."
Many articles include some witticism; image captions are often humorous and the letters section usually concludes with an odd or light-hearted letter. These efforts at humour have sometimes had a mixed reception. For example, the cover of the 20 September 2003 issue, headlined by a story on the Cancún WTO ministerial meeting, featured a cactus giving the middle finger. Readers sent both positive and negative letters in response
The editorial staff enforces a uniform voice throughout its pages as if most articles were written by a single author, displaying dry, understated wit, and precise use of language. The paper's treatment of economics presumes a working familiarity with fundamental concepts of classical economics. For instance, it does not explain terms like invisible hand, macroeconomics, or demand curve, and may take just six or seven words to explain the theory of comparative advantage. However, articles involving economics do not presume any formal training on the part of the reader and aim to be accessible to the educated layperson. The newspaper usually does not translate short French quotes or phrases, and sentences in Ancient Greek or Latin are not uncommon. It does, however, describe the business or nature of even well-known entities; writing, for example, "Goldman Sachs, an investment bank."
Many articles include some witticism; image captions are often humorous and the letters section usually concludes with an odd or light-hearted letter. These efforts at humour have sometimes had a mixed reception. For example, the cover of the 20 September 2003 issue, headlined by a story on the Cancún WTO ministerial meeting, featured a cactus giving the middle finger. Readers sent both positive and negative letters in response
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