The Art of Smart Brevity - Write Less, Say More | Jim VandeHei | TEDxOshkosh

Never have humans talked, tweeted or texted more words — and found it more difficult to be heard. Veteran journalist Jim VandeHei, having come from traditional long-form journalism roots, created Axios to be an audience-first solution to today’s chaotic news and communication climate. The need for a new, effective, way to communicate isn’t confined to journalism, however, and any modern communicator can benefit from smart brevity. The more noise and distraction, the more precision and efficiency matter in being heard — and remembered. This talk shares the lessons VandeHei learned from running a media company that you can use to bust through the noise.


Jim VandeHei is a co-founder and CEO of Axios, a media company focused on breaking news and invaluable insights across politics, tech, business, media, and the world. Axios was created to help readers and viewers get smarter, faster across the topics reshaping our country and lives. VandeHei also serves as executive producer on "Axios on HBO".

Before Axios, VandeHei co-founded and was CEO of POLITICO, the media company that upended and revolutionized political and policy journalism in Washington, New York, and Europe. Overseeing both the editorial and business teams, VandeHei was the leading strategist behind its highly scalable and highly successful business model. VandeHei spent more than a decade as a reporter, covering the ins and outs of Washington politics and power, working at legacy publications such as Roll Call, The Wall Street Journal, and The Washington Post.

VandeHei is from Oshkosh, Wisconsin. He has a bachelor's degree from the University of Wisconsin-Oshkosh This talk was given at a TEDx event using the TED conference format but independently organized by a local community. Learn more at https://www.ted.com/tedx