Nicholas Johnson, a senior editor for Bloomberg News, shares valuable insights on crafting engaging content for a niche audience. Topics covered include overcoming negative self-concept, the influence of The Bloomberg Way style guide, a controversial gun rights blog in Canada, the difference between writing news and opinion, elements of bad writing, and the importance of artistic freedom in writing.
Speaking from the heart and expressing one's truth is riveting and captivating for an audience.
Learning simplicity, clarity, and cutting out unnecessary words is crucial for effective writing.
Deep dives
Discovering the Power of Speaking from the Heart
The podcast episode explores the idea that speaking from the heart and expressing one's truth is where the magic happens. This concept is emphasized as being riveting and captivating to an audience. The guest, Nicholas Johnson, is introduced as a journalist, blogger, and exceptional writer. The host believes that listeners and students would benefit from Johnson's extensive experience in journalism and blogging, as well as his skill as a public speaker.
Nico's Journey as a Writer
Johnson shares his personal journey as a writer, starting from childhood where he struggled with writing and was even tutored for it. Over time, he developed his skills, becoming the editor of his high school paper and immersing himself in books about editing, writing, and journalism. He recalls his time at Bloomberg News, where he learned valuable skills in simplicity, clarity, and cutting out unnecessary words. He also discusses the four-paragraph formula used at Bloomberg for writing news stories, which focuses on what and why, details, context, and a quotation from an authority figure.
The Impact of Bloomberg News on Johnson's Writing
Johnson acknowledges the significant impact working at Bloomberg News had on his growth as a writer. He learned essential skills such as simplicity, clarity, and evocativeness, which helped him communicate complex financial information in a limited space. He mentions the influence of Bloomberg's style guide, the Bloomberg Way, which taught him to eliminate excess words and provide concise, direct messages. Despite leaving Bloomberg, Johnson still uses these techniques in his writing today, even though he strives to develop his own distinct voice beyond the Bloomberg style.
How do you craft engaging content for a niche audience? We ask Nicolas Johnson, a senior editor for Bloomberg News in Tokyo before he returned to Toronto to start life as a blogger.
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