Page 307 - Nutrition Counseling and Education Skills: A Guide for Professionals

power of the media to influence and the inferences that listeners or viewers make. This effect is based not only
on the speaker’s presentation and speaking skills but also on the speaker’s manner. After grasping the
enormous persuasive power of mass media, a presenter can train to use it to his or her advantage. However, if
the presenter is unaware and makes no special adaptations for the media, the presentation will be unsuccessful
—even though the content is excellent.10–13

Presenter’s Style

When communicating through the mass media, speakers need to remember that in more than 50% of
listeners, interpretation of the message is influenced not by the content but by the form—the speaker’s
manner, energy, and level of enthusiasm and the vehicles and media used for transmission. It is best to present
the information directly in a conversational manner with only a brief outline as a guide. Speakers who
paraphrase, quote, or read directly from a manuscript ordinarily will not convey the same tone of confidence,
integrity, passion, and sincerity that a person who is speaking for himself or herself will be able to
demonstrate. To demonstrate passion, for example, the speaker needs to know the material thoroughly, have
strong feelings about it, and allow himself or herself to emulate the message and not read just empty words.9–15

Airtime is expensive and interviewers may interrupt or give signals to wind up the comments. When invited
to be interviewed or share information through the mass media, speakers need to verify how much time they
will be allotted and plan accordingly. When time is limited, the speaker needs to decide ahead of time what
points are most essential, have these points highlighted, and express them first. If additional time is provided,
he or she can then elaborate or add additional information.10,11,13,15

Chances of being selected for a media presentation increase if videotaped clips or focused content outlines
are submitted. Once something is taped, the performance becomes a permanent record that can appear
anywhere or anytime in the future, so preparation and focus are key components of success.10

Often, radio and television interviewers do not have time to become well informed regarding the specifics
of their guests’ causes. Always maintain a professional manner. Being short with an interviewer may well be
interpreted as arrogance and reflect negatively on the speaker’s cause. Keep the message simple. It would be
wise to rehearse and tape answers and then listen carefully. Use commercial breaks to clarify the direction of
the conversation.

Humor is a powerful communication vehicle, but not all people have the gift. Interviewees should be
particularly careful about trying to be funny. It may make them look foolish unless they are confident they
have the special gift. When, however, the material itself is genuinely funny and has been tried successfully in
other audiences, the use of humor can be considered.

Often television and radio programs conduct preinterviews to determine whether the guest is articulate and
interesting enough to hold the audience. This is the time to do your best. Just because the host is being kind
and polite does not mean that he or she will not decide to omit the least interesting or articulate guests.

After presenting in the mass media several times, one becomes adept at processing the experience while it is
happening. Presenters need to develop a third eye to monitor themselves in the media and send back messages
to themselves about how they are doing during the presentation or interview. Because the human mind whirls
several times faster than speech speed, it is possible to see and hear yourself while talking and to modify
accordingly. The rule generally is that for the mass media, one’s natural behavior should be exaggerated

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