Bloomberg hires two for equality reporting – Talking Biz News

Everyone, I’m pleased to share news of two excellent additions to our equality reporting team.

Abha Bhattarai joins us from the Washington Post to become the Equality team leader. Abha spent 16 years at the Post, covering business and economics and delivering widely followed stories white-collar mothers leaving the labor market, Americans are languishing in a stagnant economy and the millions of student loan borrowers are facing declining credit scores. (Not to mention the shrinking American weddingand the Crocs comeback.) Abha’s reporting on essential workers on the frontlines of Covid-19 won her and her colleagues the 2021 Loeb Prize for beat reporting. In her pre-crisis days, Abha covered retail at the Post, in the vein of our own Sarah Halzack: her Bloomberg connections run deep.

In our conversations over the past few months, Abha has impressed us with her ideas, the depth and creativity of her reporting – ask her about the time she camped out in the Kohl’s parking lot overnight – and its vision of equity coverage as a core activity and financial coverage, anchored in data and dollar signs.

Abha is from Austin, Texas and lives in Washington with her husband and two daughters. Outside of work, she enjoys cooking and traveling and is learning to ski. Abha will work in the DC office and report to me.

Don’t put away those confetti cannons yet: Taylor Nicole Rogers also joins the Equality team.

Taylor created the Labor and Equality beat at the Financial Times, breaking news and providing in-depth reporting America’s changing role as a talent hub in the eyes of foreign workersthe companies and employees affected by anti-Indian racism in the wake of the H1-B changesand how managers have to deal with the mountain of paperwork that DHS and ICE now require. She also anchored a 2025 series on the consequences of the rising price of eggs employees throughout the supply chain.

Taylor’s impressive portfolio of multimedia work includes this FT documentary about how towns like Coffeeville, Miss., are faring after the local bank branch exploded. We’re thrilled that Taylor, a true fountain of ideas, is joining Equality, where she will train her lens on workplaces and the ways in which workforces, jobs and careers are changing.

Taylor grew up in Chattanooga and can usually be found at the beach or ski slopes when he’s not in the office. She always likes to talk about Broadway, pop music or fun places to travel. Taylor, who reports to Abha, will work from 731 Lex.

Both Taylor and Abha start on March 16. Welcome to Bloomberg with me!

Nikki