Automotive News has added two retail reporters in Detroit.

Gail Kachadourian Howe will cover the finance and insurance industry and other retail topics. Howe, 50, has been a freelance reporter for Automotive News and was a staff reporter at Automotive News 16 years ago.

She holds a master’s degree in journalism from Northwestern University and a bachelor’s degree in advertising from Michigan State University.

Julie Walker will cover dealership mergers and acquisitions and other retail topics. Walker, 40, spent the last two years as a freelance writer and copy editor for Automotive News, Catena Media, BridgeDetroit, Planet Detroit and the Detroit Free Press. Before that, she worked for nearly a decade at The Detroit News as a reporter, copy editor and lead sports designer.

Walker holds a master’s degree in liberal and interdisciplinary studies and a bachelor’s degree in communications/print journalism, both from the University of Michigan’s Dearborn campus.