My career as a writer took a path I never expected.
After graduating university with an English Literature degree, I spent 10 years as a business reporter, entertainment editor and features writer, working my way through daily news. Then, as newspapers bled jobs during the Great Recession, I realized I could put those same skills to work writing press releases, speeches and internal communications — first for the government, then for CEOs of global corporations.
I have learned a lot during the first 20 years of my career. Still, no matter what kind of writing I’m doing, I frequently find myself relying on the handful of tips I picked up from my earliest days in the newsroom.
To my friends in any field where the written word is important (PR, investor comms, content marketing, the list goes on…), I hope sharing this is helpful. And to the editors that held me to the highest standards, even when they were at their most… um… let’s just say gruff, I am forever indebted.
1. The Rule of 32
My first post-newspaper job was for the State of Nevada, working as the public information officer for the division that regulates insurance. Being “on the other side of the desk,” as they say, was eye opening. My job included fielding inquiries from such places as The…
