JOSHUA JOHNSON
I equip people to connect through conflict.
I spent decades assuming that conflict threatens connection.
Thank goodness I was wrong.
Meaningful, transformative connection cannot happen without navigating conflict. It's how we work together, dispel myths, and build trust. Democracy is all about conflict resolution: we talk things out so that we don't fight them out. Even in our polarized world, we can still connect using the right tools and skills. It's time to reconnect... and this time, I believe we can make it count.
BIO
Joshua Johnson has earned a reputation for compelling conversation and unique insight, helping people from many walks of life connect in respectful and transformative ways. His work combines humor, candor, empathy, edginess, and the courage to hope for a brighter tomorrow. Joshua topped a field of hundreds of candidates to win the TED Idea Search in Chicago, leading to his "Idiots are everywhere" TED Talk in 2026.
The talk drew from 25 years' experience in broadcast journalism. Joshua helped create & host several national programs including Truth Be Told, a public radio limited series on race; the live NPR talk show 1A, on which he was the founding host; The Week with Joshua Johnson, a primetime weekend newscast on MSNBC (now MS NOW); and NOW Tonight, a nightly newscast on NBC News NOW. 1A drew an audience of more than three million listeners a week on well over 375 NPR stations.
His latest independent project is The Resolution, a debate game to help everyday people have smarter, more meaningful arguments. Previously he created The Night Light, a program focused on democracy and connection. And he's using his news experience as a comedic actor, playing anchorman Dwight Richmond on the satirical Onion News Network.
Joshua's teaching and training includes serving as a Lecturer at the UC Berkeley Graduate School of Journalism, providing interview skills training to the newsroom of The Philadelphia Inquirer, training collegiate interns at San Francisco’s KQED Public Radio, and introducing print journalists to public radio as the Operations Director of WLRN Miami Herald News.
Johnson is a graduate of the University of Miami School of Communication, which named him its 2024 Communicator of the Year. His other interests include the gym, making amateur DJ mixes of house & disco-inspired music, video gaming, classic movies, and theme parks. He lives in Chicago.
JOSHUA'S SIGNATURE KEYNOTE
How to Deal with "Idiots": Connecting Through Conflict
"Idiots... are everywhere." That's how my 2026 TED Talk began a playful yet pragmatic look at ideological conflicts. Our differences can connect us if we move in close and learn without judgment. The alternative: lost friendships, estranged families, languishing organizations, and paralyzed governments. But shrewd leaders can foster connection if they know what to ask, how to listen, where to move closer and what they can learn. Let me share my insights on navigating tough conversations productively and humanely. Because as I said at the end of my TED Talk, "You can learn a lot from an idiot... especially if you resolve never to act like one."
AUDIENCE TESTIMONIALS
"Joshua Johnson's voice is one that is necessary as we continue to navigate today's political climate. His take on everything from war to the White House sprinkled in with a bit of popular culture oftentimes causes me to have a driveway moment. Through years of listening to Joshua Johnson on NPR as well as MSNBC I have learned (still learning) to find my own voice."
"Your work… demonstrates it's possible to learn from someone without feeling taught, to call BS without being abrasive… to be professional yet relatable. Thank you!"
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