The Economics Department

If it'll make money, someone'll do it. Someone's already doing it, right now. Doesn't matter how illegal, or immoral, or unfair - it's being done. At some point I stopped being able to live with that.

- William Hafton, on his retirement from Hafton-Chase Management.

Money makes the world go round. Every moment, all around the world, cash changes hands, goods and services are bought or sold, and stocks and shares are traded. Each inconsequential, everyday decision flourishes into ripples that either dissipate, drowned in the vast complexity of modern society, or amplify and accumulate into a rushing wave that can cripple or buoy the market. Deep beneath the surface, powerful currents tug consumers one way or another, as corporations, governments and hedge funds make complex decisions with subtle yet crucial consequences. Perched on the bank with a picnic basket and some duck food is the Economics Department, a quiet and patient observer. 'Think slow, write fast' is the motto; the journalists here pride themselves on thoughtful commentary and pragmatic financial advice, delivered at a timely pace.

From within his glass-walled office, the department's editor William Hafton has a clear view through the newsroom. To one side of his door, an LCD display tracks the ups and downs of several key stock exchanges. Long retired from the cutthroat world of hedge funds and high-volume trading, Hafton is a seasoned economist with a finger still firmly on the pulse of the financial world. His own articles are concise, blunt and dense, and he expects a similar standard from those working under his auspices. New writers will often find their pieces returned with instructions to cut the word count by half or more.

Under Hafton's leadership, the department has shifted focus from general reports on the state of Seldona's economy to investigations of financial crimes, corrupt businesses and shady deals. The New Glabe Gazette has broken several of the more significant economic scandals in recent memory, and Hafton seems intent on continuing that streak – but there's been a recent lull in major crises. In the meantime, the government of Seldona is providing a steady stream of newsworthy stories in their attempts to simultaneously cut spending and expand trade. A bidding war is ongoing between two massive corporations, SALVO Civil Engineering and FreshCorp Construction, to build a series of new ports, roads and railways to transport Seldonan goods to customers all around the world, and a decision is expected from the government by the end of the month. First, though, the department is bracing for the release of quarterly financial reports, due over the coming two weeks.