David Merritt, executive editor for Bloomberg News in the Asia-Pacific region, said accuracy, persistence and the ability to simplify a complicated story are among the most important characteristics of successful business journalists.

Merritt gave the advice during his speech on the "10 Talents of Successful Business Journalists" to a capacity audience of students and faculty in Tsinghua University's Global Sources Hall. The speech was followed by a question-and-answer session during which students, ranging from master's candidates in the Global Business Journalism (GBJ) program to first-semester freshmen, asked about ethics, job opportunities and differences between financial and political coverage.

Merritt, who joined Bloomberg in 2000 after graduating from Oxford University, said there is no substitute for hard work. He advised students to "be curious and constantly try to learn new things outside of your 'comfort zone'," and to be "adept at storytelling in multiple mediums." Merritt said journalists have an important role in every society and nation, and should always be "respectful, fair and honest."

The speech was organized by the Journalism School as part of the "Bloomberg Lecture Series" which aims to help students better understand the media industry. Merritt, who manages 450 reporters and editors in 26 countries, was hosted by Professor Jin Jianbin, Administrative Dean, and introduced by Professor Hang Min, Co-Director of GBJ. In a private meeting before the lecture, Merritt and the professors also discussed opportunities for Tsinghua alumni and students within Bloomberg's new plan hire more than 30 reporters and editors to expand its Chinese-language news coverage.