Ford School economics professor Justin Wolfers is one of the most prolific “public” scholars at the school. His analyses about current economic events regularly appear on the pages of The New York Times (among others), on the screens at Bloomberg (among others), and in the broadcasts of MSNBC (among others). (See below for a recap of his recent media activity).
While the insights are topical and relevant to the moment, he was becoming frustrated with the reactive nature of the segments.
“The reason I do public-facing stuff is because I want to educate the broader public,” he says..
With that in mind, he has worked with MSNBC and host Ana Cabrera to create something “more intentional”, a step-back from the day’s news stories to think about the broader economic background, so that people need to really understand and navigate what's going on in the world.
“This is the back story that's often assumed, but rarely actually discussed,” he says.
The new 5-minute segment, “The Professor Is In,” debuted on May 16, and examined the difference between trade agreements and trade deals.
“I was really pleased about being able to describe some of the US-UK-China deal by way of an analogy to swiping right on Tinder.” Wolfers adds, “I have to meet them where they are. They're a news organization and they need viewers, which is a constraint I don't usually deal with in a classroom. Actually learning stuff is often referred to as ‘eating your vegetables,’ which seems to connote that it may not always be pleasant. But there's a happy medium here where we can present the vegetables in their truest, most flavorful terms. Think of it as a meal at a top notch vegetarian restaurant. Vegetables can be delicious! And that's my goal.”
The plan is for the segments to run every two weeks.
You can see the first segment here: Breaking down trade agreements vs. trade deals amid Trump's tariff turmoil
A recap of recent appearances by Justin Wolfers in the media:
MSNBC, May 21, A tangled web
MSNBC, May 21, The 'sell America' trade accelerates as global investors fret over GOP spending bill
MSNBC, May 17, Trump's new tariff threats: 'There are no deals'
HuffPost, May 16, If You Believe Trump, He’s Brought In New Investments Totaling Half Of The Entire GDP
ABC Australia, May 15, What Trump’s China tariffs did to businesses
The Bulwark Podcast, May 13, Trump's Centrally Planned Economy
MSNBC, May 13, We don't know what's around the corner.' Inflation cools slightly, but Trump tariffs remain
CNN, May 13, Trump’s biggest win isn’t a trade deal — it’s his distortion of reality
Benzinga, May 12, Trump's UK Trade Carve Outs Baffles Economist Justin Wolfers: Bentley, Rolls-Royce Exemption Is 'Politically Insane'
CNN, May 12, Trump’s China trade breakthrough might be enough to avoid self-inflicted recession
MSNBC, May 12, ‘This is not normal’: U.S.,China agree to 90-day tariff pause but 30% is ‘still a big deal’
Associated Press, May 12, What’s next with Trump’s trade war truce with China
Marketplace, May 8, Consumers are feeling worse about their finances. How much does that tell us about the economy?
USA Today, May 8, Trump strikes a trade deal with the UK. What it means for you.
MSNBC, May 8, U.S., UK trade deal likely ‘tiny little peas’, not even ‘small potatoes’
MSNBC, May 7, The U.S. economy is being held hostage... by the whims and delusions of one man'
The Contrarian, May 6, Seriously, what is going on with the economy?
MSNBC, May 6, Bracing for potential impact in Trump’s trade war
MSNBC, May 6, Canada's New Leader Clashes with Trump at White House
MSNBC, May 5, Anti-Trump effect? Economist says 'damage to world order' from tariffs may be 'long-lasting'
MSNBC, May 1, Incoherent': Expert rips Trump for saying kids can now settle for '2 dolls instead of 30'
MSNBC, May 1, You break it, you buy it': Trump begins next 100 days by blaming Biden for the economy
CBC, May 1, 75% chance the U.S. economy is headed for a recession
