Ros Atkins on The Art of Explaining

How can we be better at explaining things? On the 250th episode of the podcast, I’m joined by a very special guest who has made explaining an art form and has just published a book called ‘The Art of Explanation’.

That guest is Ros Atkins. He’s a BBC News presenter and the BBC’s Analysis Editor. Ros is best known for his explainer videos, which, since 2019, have become a global phenomenon with vast audiences on social media and on the BBC's digital, TV and radio channels.

His new book — full title ‘The Art of Explanation: How to Communicate with Clarity and Confidence’ — is part autobiography, part history of his explainer videos and a practical guide to how we can all be better at explaining things.

I’ve been a fan of Ros’ videos and presentation style since first discovering them a few years ago. Not only have they made me smarter about the world, but the techniques he uses are engaging, informative and entertaining. So much so, in fact, that I’ve often found myself recommending to my clients that they watch them as masterclasses in how to make complicated subjects interesting and compelling.

Key talking points:

In our discussion, we explore:

• the importance of explanation and why we need to be better at it;
  
  
• the genesis of the explainer videos;
  
  
• the techniques Ros uses to make his videos;
  
  
• how Ros generates his ideas, sometimes taking inspiration from the most unexpected of places;
  
  
• lessons about how we can all be better at explaining things, not just at work but also in our personal lives;
  
  
• how Ros uses an entrepreneurial and collaborative approach to get projects off the ground;
  
  
• Texting Keith Olbermann, a very unusual BBC podcast that Ros recorded with his wife Sarah and US sports presenter Keith Olbermann.
  
  
• The 50:50 project, a highly successful initiative to support diverse representation in the BBC’s journalism, which Ros started in the newsroom in 2017 and has now spread across the BBC and beyond;

and much more.

‘The Art of Explanation: How to Communicate with Clarity and Confidence’

To find out more about Ros’ book: geni.us/TAOEBOOK

Keith Jarret Köln Concert

Ros mentions a story about jazz musician Keith Jarrett and a concert Jarrett played in Köln, Germany. As he tells the story — which links to the Inheritance Tracks podcast below — Ros says that we must fact-check it.

True to his reputation, after we’d finisjhed recording, he sent me this NPR link which appears to confirm the story: https://www.npr.org/transcripts/719557642

This piqued my curiosity, and I did further research and discovered that a reporter from — where else?! — the BBC – had looked into the Köln concert story. Not only did he confirm the facts, but he also managed to interview the concert promoter in question. You can hear the story here: https://www.bbc.co.uk/sounds/play/p00ldwyp

You can hear the Köln concert — part 3 features on the Spotify playlist below — here: https://open.spotify.com/album/0I8vpSE1bSmysN2PhmHoQg?si=UkPi_oTXR7Grrrwc403Fxg

‘Art of Explanation’ playlist

The Spotify playlist that features tracks from the book and podcast jointly curated by Ros and me: https://open.spotify.com/playlist/27ku9laOh8IantyEEdhTQa?si=fa1f8ca6d3cc41d1

Texting Keith Olbermann podcast

You’ll find Ros’ podcast ‘Texting Keith Olbermann’ here and on all podcast platforms: https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/p071wbr5

Inheritance Tracks

Hear Ros talking about Keith Jarrett’s Köln concert and Steely Dan’s Aja https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/p0g6c5bz

The ‘Ros Atkins on…’ series

https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/p095rjk1/episodes/player

My absolute favourite of Ros’ Explainer videos is Ros Atkins on…The Number 10 Christmas Party: https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/av/uk-59514568