Nair, who leads European deals coverage at Bloomberg News, explained how reporters could break news on prospective deals.

He encouraged the aspiring financial journalists to focus on cultivating sources throughout their career as M&A reporting depended heavily on information from bankers, lawyers, executives and other people familiar with the deals.

He emphasised the importance of building a mutually beneficial relationship with sources rather than approaching them only when you needed something.

Deal news has the potential to impact investment decisions and a company’s market performance. So it is very important to be accurate and get all aspects of it right, Nair said.

Despite being a highly competitive beat, the credibility and admiration journalists earn when they get a scoop on a deal make the grind worth it, the star reporter said.