The widely watched Dow Jones industrial average plummeted 554 points in a single day last week, rattling investors and traders across the country. But with strong corporate profits and low inflation in place, was the extensive news coverage much ado about nothing? The Business Journal Forum asks:

Do you think there is too much attention paid to the market’s ups and downs?

Grace Duncan

corporate sales manager

Hotel Nikko at Beverly Hills

I think so. You know the headlines start screaming and everybody starts looking at their stock. Everybody panics. But you know what it is, I’ve talked to a lot of financial people. You ride it out. Your investment is based on a long-term basis.

Stephen T. Wise

president

California Furniture Exports

The media hysteria was absolutely overblown. This was an economic El Ni & #324;o, and the media essentially was hyping it up. The American economy is extremely strong. Five hundred points is not nothing, but I wouldn’t give it page after page of coverage like the L.A. Times did.

Ronald Mayer

vice president

Golden State Health Centers

I have stock and it makes me a little nervous. I think they gave it too much attention. It makes good news. Everyday with stocks you’re thinking, “Is it going to go down?” It’s like a long-term thing. The truth is, I’d rather not hear about it for a long time.

Chris Robb

senior vice president/group creative director

BBDO West

It seemed like a business issue. There was too much attention paid to it, but then it seems that anything is news these days. I would bet most of America doesn’t even know what it means. I bet a broad section that doesn’t invest were like, “huh?”

Octavio Nuiry

On Marketing

No, I don’t think so because today a lot of the investors are on Main Street, not on Wall Street. I think it’s an important event. Particularly because a lot of regular people are investing in the stock market these days, including myself. I have a lot of money tied up in stocks.

Rochelle Winters

president

Smoke & Mirrors

No, but I don’t watch mainstream news. I do listen to NPR and I listened to the stock coverage. I think they were charting the ups and downs and putting it in a greater context of understanding. I never felt like I was on a roller coaster, there was never that sense of calamity.