The Apple of One Business Reporter’s Eye

Original Article:

Source: Link

Times Insider explains who we are and what we do and delivers behind-the-scenes insights into how our journalism comes together. Some journalists have broad beats — animals, the entire state of California, even the cosmos. Tripp Mickle, however, focuses on just one company: Apple. But there’s still more than enough to write about. Since joining the Business desk at The New York Times in April 2022, Mr. Mickle has reported on Apple’s flashy new Vision Pro headset, its foray into artificial intelligence and the ongoing antitrust case against the company, which has been accused by U.S. regulators of running a smartphone monopoly. Despite having a specific beat, Mr. Mickle’s work still finds a wide audience. “It’s this incredible company that has such influence in our lives,” Mr. Mickle said in an interview. “And it’s a fortress of secrecy.” Before writing for The Times, he dabbled in other topics, including NASCAR for Sports Business Journal, and the tobacco and alcohol industries for The Wall Street Journal. It was during his time at The Journal that Mr. Mickle decided to take a bite of the Apple beat. In a phone conversation from his home in the Glen Park district of San Francisco, Mr. Mickle discussed how his beat has changed over the years and his experience staking out the offices of OpenAI. These are edited excerpts.