A good friend and I were chatting about everything a couple of weeks ago and, naturally, my blog came up in the conversation. He asked me why one day I’ll write about Pickleball, the next about the loudmouth at the bar, the next about the Great Lakes weather effect, and another about adult siblings drifting apart. I said because the tagline is, The News According To Me. Emphasis on Me.
“Why write about everything, though?” he countered, his brow furrowed in marketing-minded concern. “You’d be better off finding your niche, establishing your authority, and catering to a specific audience!” Well, the fact is, I do ghostwrite blogs, social media posts, lengthy thought leadership pieces, newsletters, market research documents, whitepapers, and plenty more for others, and I’m okay with someone else’s name going on it, or no name. When I did daily reporting for the professional golf tours, my writing went on the wire services under the wire service banner like CP (Canadian Press) and AP (Associated Press), and under “Tour Communications” on the Tour websites. Yet, everyone knew who was writing it and who to call, email, or text when they wanted to set up an interview with a golfer, commissioner, or me. And yes, I am undertaking a second blog on Substack (which may also run here) that contains my observations on the sporting world, which goes live May 5, 2025, and will run weekly. The advice from my friend is well-intentioned, echoing the strategies that often dictate success in the online world. And in the digital landscape, where niche blogs reign supreme and the gospel of targeted content is preached with fervent conviction, this corner of the internet might seem like an anomaly, despite many subscribers.
Yet, my blog, The News According to Me, remains deliberately, joyously, unbounded by the shackles of silos. It reflects a mind that resists feeling hemmed in, a spirit that thrives on intellectual wanderlust, and a conscious choice to embrace the expansive landscape of the human experience, among other subjects, which I find oh so fascinating. It’s a chance to eventually write about my trip to Bayou La Batre, Alabama; another trip to Clarksburg, West Virginia, or that creepy ghost town somewhere in Canada – places most don’t include in their travel agenda and fewer write about. It’s about the people I have met, my experiences and battles (sometimes thinly disguised in an entry), and anything I feel like writing about. Ideas may spring up from seemingly nowhere, then evolve into a first draft and eventually a publishable version. I may look out at the lake, just steps from my door, and watch a boater go by, waving to me, which inspires me to write about boating, as I did last year. I know I won’t knock it out of the park every time. Not every song or album an artist records will top the charts.
After years spent navigating the defined corridors of the corporate world, which I enjoyed and where expertise was often equated with specialization and knowledge was compartmentalized, the freedom to explore a multitude of subjects feels like a liberation. Restricting my writing to a single theme feels akin to voluntarily stepping back into those self-imposed boundaries. My blog is my sanctuary, an escape from what I must write (happily) to what I want to write. It is a space where I can follow the threads of my curiosity wherever they may lead, unburdened by the demands of a specific target demographic or the pressure to become a singular authority. Why didn’t I do this years ago? Your guess is as good as mine, but I do know that I am thoroughly enjoying it, and the words are pouring out of me like a faucet drawing someone’s bath.
I see myself not as a niche blogger, but as a columnist in the truest sense of the word. Like the seasoned voices of newspapers and magazines past and present, both online and offline, I aim to offer my perspective, analysis, and engagement with the world in its entirety – beautiful yet messy. My reading habits are voracious and wide-ranging; my interests span from history to the latest news (in moderation), from the beauty of art to mental health to sports to geography to almost everything, for that matter. To confine my writing to a single subject would be to silence a significant part of who I am and how I engage with the world around me.
The endless list of topics that spark my interest is not a liability; it is the very lifeblood of my writing. Each new subject offers another way to view the world, a new set of ideas to explore, and a new opportunity to connect seemingly disparate concepts. The cross-pollination of ideas from different fields often yields unique insights and perspectives that are overlooked within the confines of a niche. By allowing my fingers to dance across the keyboard and visit every horizon, I aim to offer a richer and more dynamic reading experience for those who choose to join me on this journey.
This broad approach fosters a different kind of connection with my readers. Those who resonate with The News According to Me are likely individuals who share a similar intellectual curiosity, a willingness to explore diverse subjects, and an appreciation for personal observation and experience that weaves through various themes. Our connection is not based on a singular shared interest, but on a shared way of engaging with others, with open minds and an unquenchable thirst for knowledge.
The News According to Me may never earn me six figures on its own, nor will it likely earn me any awards. I doubt I will ever hit one hundred thousand subscribers or even twenty thousand. If there is a downside to it, and I use that term loosely, it’s that I am constantly filling what seems like a bottomless barrel with ideas, and I have to decide which one gets written and published next. I am continually thinking of a new blog series with four or five entries each, and while that is a nice problem to have, it can be hard to shut things off at the end of the day when my head is filled not only with paid work, but next month’s blog entries to upload. Thank goodness for my notebook and online bank of ideas. I once said I have published thirty percent of my writing, which holds true with the blog.
Ultimately, my blog is a reflection of my belief that life is multifaceted and interconnected. To silo my interests and my conversations is to diminish the richness and complexity of human experience. By embracing the endless possibilities of topics that come to mind, I am not just writing; I am engaging in a continuous act of learning, exploring, and sharing my unique perspective.
The News According to Me is not about being an expert in one thing; it’s about being an engaged and thoughtful observer of everything. And in that endless exploration in this space, I find a freedom and a fulfillment that no niche could ever offer.
John Berkovich Talks 