About the editor

Ty West, the editor-in-chief for the Birmingham Business Journal, graduated from the University of Alabama in 2005 with a degree in journalism. In September of 2006, West began working for the Birmingham Business Journal.

After four years of being a reporter, West eventually worked his way up to being a managing editor for five and a half years before becoming editor-in-chief in February 2016.

Since West began working with the Business Journal, circulation has steadily risen. This is because the BBJ deals with a niche market. The Birmingham Business Journal is also unique in the way that they present information to their readers.

“We have something we refer to as the business journal lens,” West said. “Every story we do should help someone grow their business, help them advance their career, help simplify their professional life, help give them the information they need to run their business more effectively.”

The biggest fear that West associates with his job is “the ever evolving nature of business.” Before technology and social media’s existence, it was more difficult to gain readers. Now, thanks to the Internet, there is more competition. “It really forces us to always be at the top of our game and find innovative ways to do what we do.”

West said he encourages his staff to find great sources and stories and produce content in an ethical and professional manner.

West said, “The people we write about, that read us and advertise with us are all the same people.” Because of this, the writer needs to find a way to deliver the story in an unbiased, professional and ethical fashion.

All in Your Business

Right in the heart of Birmingham, in an area known as Five Points South, sits the office of the Birmingham Business Journal. Fifteen employees work for the publication that specializes in covering business news in Birmingham and the surrounding area.

The Birmingham Business Journal works to keep business people up-to-date with markets in the city as well as focusing on trends and issues.

In 1983, Tina Verciglio-Savas and Michael Randle founded the Birmingham Business Journal. After 16 years of owning the BBJ, the American City Business Journals bought the paper from Savas and Randle.

Along with the BBJ, the ACBJ owns a variety of newspapers across the country, including Hemmings, Inside Lacrosse, Bizwomen, Upstart, BostInno, DCInno, ChicagoInno, AustinInno and SportsBusiness Daily.

Editor-in-chief Ty West has seen a steady increase in circulation since 2006. West attributes much of the success to the staff.

“We have a staff that has really bought into our mission. One reason for our success is that we focus on quality over quantity,” West said.

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In addition to creating business-focused content, the BBJ also hosts different types of events and classes each year.

For example, the BBJ hosted a class on how to promote business through social media taught by the BBJ’s director of audience development, Ginger Gardner Aarons. Aarons also stays involved with the business community by going to community events and by being involved in local organizations.

Another way that the BBJ reaches out to the public is through hosting an annual economic forecast panel. The panel is intended to bring together a group of economists, executives and business leaders to give their audience a perspective for what to expect on the local, state and national level.

According to bizjournals.com, the host website for the BBJ, Birmingham is only one of the 43 cities that are covered by the group.

On bizjournals.com not all stories are fully available for a person to read. This is because bizjournals.com has used its web presence to create revenue for the paper through a premium membership.

All stories, along with other perks such as the Book of Lists, are available for a $92 annual subscription. The Books of Lists shows listings for leading buyers and businesses in more than 60 markets.

Business is Booming

Brent Godwin, a commercial real estate writer and reporter, joined the Birmingham Business Journal staff in 2011. Since then, Godwin, a graduate of the Auburn University journalism program, has had a front row seat to observe business and real estate changes in Birmingham.

Birmingham is becoming a hotspot for real estate because it is attracting younger adults. Within the city, trendy developments are creating a different perception of the city.

According to Godwin, one reason Birmingham has experienced a recent boom is because more and more residents don’t want to drive long distances to reach the city. Within the past five years, Godwin has seen a shift in people wanting to live closer to the city.

“When I moved to Birmingham in 2011, there wasn’t a lot of activity. You now have people who don’t want to live within the city, but they want to live near enough to where they don’t have to drive an hour in for a concert or go to dinner,” said Godwin.

According to Godwin, Avondale has been one standout area that has been experiencing growth because it is an area where people can work and eat good food. Although this change has been the same for many other major cities across the United States, this change is more dramatic for Birmingham because there hasn’t been much growth in terms of real estate trends for so long.

One story that Godwin is proud of is one he wrote in October 2016. Through his sources, he discovered a project that is going to occur in Avondale. The concept is that all of the shops and restaurants will be housed in shipping containers.

The development is called Box Row, which would add a unique style of architecture to the area. After a couple of weeks of staying professionally persistent and speaking with the developer, Golden Bell Capital, they agreed to let him release the story.

Godwin has also seen a change in interaction between himself and sources from when he first began working at BBJ. With Birmingham still being affected by the latest recession in 2011, the information asked for sometimes wouldn’t be provided. “When I started reaching out to some of the same folks five years ago to get numbers or info, they did not want to talk because things were so bad.” Now Godwin says he gets tips from his sources everyday about something that is about to happen in or around the city.

With his current occupation, Godwin says he has developed an appreciation for business journalism. In the world of real estate, developments all build on one another, stimulating more opportunities for growth.

For example, right by the Barons stadium, Railroad Park was developed in 2010, serving as a point of interest. It has nine acres of green space for the public, helping bring more people to the area. With the help of the park, apartments such as The Venue are filling up with tenants.

Godwin said he pays close attention to real estate trends across the city. Godwin’s consistent awareness of his surroundings is one of his strengths when it comes to his job. Knowing areas in Birmingham that are getting hot gives Godwin an idea of what stories may be more important to write about.

Godwin said persistence is a must-have trait for business journalists. “There are still people who don’t want to talk. A lot of time we deal with high level business people who really don’t understand what we do.”

One way that Godwin shows his persistence as a journalist is by talking one on one with his sources on a regular basis and making sure that they know he understands what they do.