---
title: "Podcast: “Anyone Can Write”: Changing Roles for Technical Communicators"
date: 2010-04-26
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# Podcast: “Anyone Can Write”: Changing Roles for Technical Communicators

**Listen here:**

[Audio](https://www.podtrac.com/pts/redirect.mp3?https://s3.us-west-1.wasabisys.com/idbwmedia.com/podcasts/anyonecanwrite.mp3)

[![](https://s3.us-west-1.wasabisys.com/idbwmedia.com/images/apple_podcasts.png)](https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/id-rather-be-writing-podcast/id277365275) [![](https://s3.us-west-1.wasabisys.com/idbwmedia.com/images/watchonyoutubeblack.png)](https://www.youtube.com/@idratherbewriting) [![](https://s3.us-west-1.wasabisys.com/idbwmedia.com/images/spotify.png)](https://open.spotify.com/show/4HeOZfPGMMfViOhVS40QBD)

[Powerpoint](https://s3.us-west-1.wasabisys.com/idbwmedia.com/podcasts/anyonecanwrite.pptx)

This podcast is a recording of a presentation I gave to students at the Missouri State University technical writing conference on April 23, 2010. This presentation has some overlapping content from the previous presentation on Trends in Technical Communication that I gave to the teachers, except that with this presentation, because the audience was students, I focused mainly on the changing roles technical communicators are playing.

My basic premise is that many IT environments have an assumption that "anyone can write." Because of this assumption, technical writers are changing their roles, becoming hybrids with additional skill sets, or moving beyond the basics of writing in order to provide both value and find fulfillment.