They may think it’s hard to understand. But all of that information tells a story. How many widgets is a company selling and is the company selling widgets at a faster pace than last year? How does an interest rate hike by the Federal Reserve impact what a consumer pays on her credit card debt? We have a tremendous responsibility because the stories we report impact people’s money- people’s 401k plans, how they save for college, what stocks they buy. And building financial freedom and wealth can have profound effects for a family. No other area in journalism has that impact. AM: What do you envision your audience is? ML: I know CEOs, bankers, traders, portfolio managers all watch us. But I like to think that we are also accessible to the average at-home investor, so I often think that I am talking to my mom! AM: What are some of your favorite guest interviews you've done thus far? ML: Many of my favorite interviews were part of documentary or longform reporting. I did a story about mine safety and interviewed a third-generation coal miner (thousands of feet underground, in the mine) named Shag Jr. who chose to be a coal miner despite the risks. The reason was simple: you can earn a six-figure salary with a high school degree. It was the best job available to him, and he viewed his job as a service. Who makes sure the lights go on when you flip the switch? Coal miners, he said. I also interviewed Cyril Rhamaphosa, now the president of South Africa, during my Coca Cola documentary. His investment firm, Shanduka, owned the only black-owned bottler during Apartheid, a time when Coke chose to stay with the country and take a side.
with the country and take a side. Ramaposa recounted stories of marching with Nelson Mandela in the fight for equal rights. I felt like I was taking a trip back in history. AM: How did you get involved traveling the world shooting documentaries? Are there any memorable surprise moments that happened during production? ML: I have pitched almost every documentary I have done, so it was as simple as having a good idea. Traveling abroad always has its surprises. During a trip to Capetown for my Bitcoin documentary, my producer and I traveled to a township called Khayelitsha, which is a very poor area where people live in tin homes and barely have electricity. Armed security accompanied us. The kids of the township were very excited to see a camera crew and crowded around us. But, one young boy pulled a gun on my producer! (I was shooting something on camera while this happened and found out about this afterwards.) Fortunately it was a toy gun! But given the stories we had read about the crime and given what our security detail told us about the area, that practically gave her a heart attack! AM: Tell us about your latest documentary, "Bitcoin: Boom or Bust." Are you bullish on blockchain technology and/ or cryptocurrency? ML: The documentary explores the elusive and controversial world of bitcoin, the cryptocurrency that sparked a global frenzy. We tried to answer a couple of key questions: Is it the future of finance, a bubble or worse? I think the technology behind cryptocurrencies, blockchain, has real promise. Corporate America is starting to use blockchain to track provenance of art and property, or improve efficiencies in their supply chain. I believe there are
