The PR Office was invited to a lunchtime briefing with Bloomberg journalists Matthew Campbell and Simon Kennedy. The lunch gave us an opportunity to hear from two of Bloomberg’s journalists, understand what they do and how we, as PRs, can work better with them. Matthew and Simon explained where Bloomberg has succeeded in 2016 and its philosophy on how to confront the major issues that are coming up in 2017 and beyond.

Bloomberg sets itself a goal to “be the breaker of news” with a focus on being the meeting point between business and politics. After witnessing a growing trend that the markets follow the ‘harder’ news topics such as terrorism, Bloomberg is re-designing its ‘Business Week’ and is starting to focus on stories which are ‘a little harder news’.

Following the Brexit result, Simon Kennedy was put in charge of overseeing Bloomberg’s Brexit coverage. He spoke about his personal experiences. One of the things that he has picked up is the need for answers and that is why one of the major pieces of work that he has been putting together was a piece on the ‘red lines’ for each EU member state in the lead up to the start of the Brexit negotiations. People are looking for substance and facts in a time when there has been so much uncertainty.

There is a lot of talk about different aspects of Brexit, but people are showing that they are actually interested in the process. Readers and clients expect quick, fast and accurate information. The challenge is to be ahead of the game and fill people’s inboxes with the latest news as they start their day.

You never know where you will find the ideas that make all the difference. That is why there is great effort being put into engagement with social media with Bloomberg looking for good ideas for Brexit from whomever has it.