OJ who?

In a University of South Florida class on "Race, Gender and Class in the Media," professor Tony Silvia showed an HBO documentary called, "OJ: A Study in Black and White." This was quite an eye-opener for members of the generation that knows OJ Simpson as "that guy who killed his ex-wife and got away with it." There was OJ, running for USC, winning the Heisman trophy, pitching Hertz Rentacars. And it was all news to the students! There were a few older students in the room who remembered the verdict in the first OJ trial, but for the most part it was something their parents talked about when they were in grade school. Seems to me like it was just yesterday that I spent a couple of years of my life talking about this guy on America's Talking (the network that became MSNBC).

Getting the Point at Poynter

The first amendment to the US Constitution is etched in the sidewalk as you enter the Poynter Institute in St. Petersburg Florida. My overseas coaching experiences have made me even more passionate and proud of the fact that a free press and freedom of expression are part of the foundation of our country. Thanks to my co-author Tony Silvia, I got the grand tour and met some great people, including Keith Woods. We talked about the DVD for his book,"The Authentic Voice," on diversity in reporting. Also met Ellyn Angelotti, a rising star in online journalism education who is also pursuing a degree in communication law.
Just spending an hour here is an uplifting experience, and it's sad to say that fewer media companies are willing to send their journalists here for mid-career education. The technology-rich classrooms are mostly empty and distance learniing via webinars is now the focus. Talking about the importance of on-camera presentation skills is always a tough sell with the capital J journalism crowd, and this place is no exception... until the print guy has to do the DVD for his new book! They have people here who teach power reporting video journalism and somehow skip the part where you have to be on camera. Oh well, in a world where everyone will soon have their own i-phone app, they'll come around. I just hope they invite me to teach here when they do! Another great quote from the sidewalk is by the legendary CBS newsman Edward R. Murrow: "Just because your voice reaches around the world doesn't mean you are any wiser than when it only reached to the end of the bar."

Catching Some Rays

It's always a good day to go the ballpark, but even more special when you are there with a guy who writes baseball books. I'm in Florida to visit my co-author Tony Silvia and work on our book, "Power Performance: Storytelling for Multimedia Journalists."
He scored some sweet seats at Tropicana Field for the Rays and Texas Rangers. We enjoyed a great brunch in the Whitney Bank Club, and an awesome vantage point on the first base line. We also paid a visit to the broadcast booth to visit play-by-play man Dewayne Staats. Tony's most recent book is "Fathers and Sons in Baseball Broadcasting," and we had a chance to meet one of the people he has profiled, Todd Kalas, son of the late of the late Philadelphia Phillies broadcaster Harry Kalas.You can check out Tony's book at this link: http://www.mcfarlandpub.com/book-2.php?id=978-0-7864-3815-0Thinking back to some fun times with my dad, watching the Dodgers or the minor league Quakes, I can't thank Tony enough for sharing his "inside baseball" world with me. I also was able to meet several of his colleagues from the University of South Florida at a party for new grad students. Nice people, great fun, but back to work tomorrow!

The Multimedia Voice

This panel at AEJMC in Boston has me rethinking the whole idea of voice training for multimedia. With all due respect to my fellow panelists, I believe it is old thinking to expect multimedia journalists to adopt the classic "announcer" voice of broadcast news. In fact, whenever I hear that voice on the internet, it's usually mocking someone who wants to sound credible but isn't.

Internet media tolerates a wide diversity of voices, male or female and multi ethnic. But it's no longer the "we talk, you listen" school of announcing. Internet voices have an intention -- to inform, entertain, sell you something, persuade, help you solve a problem -- and they want you to TALK BACK. The voice must be engaging and approachable, like someone you'd want to meet for coffee at Starbucks. In other words, an articulate friend.

So, I won't be adopting the rubric that takes points off a student's grade for a dropped "t" or "ing." I also won't be emulating the professor who declared in his Texas twang that those who have a southern accent have no future in front of a camera and microphone.

My training focuses on making the most of the unique voice that you have and eliminating any distractions that would interfere with your message. Yes, it is important to focus on correct posture and breathing, but it is also important to write copy that is intended to be read out loud. It also doesn't do any good to fix the voice if the presenter's appearance and gestures are inappropriate. In short, you have to coach the whole person in talent performance. For more information, please visit my web site http://www.terryanzur.com/.