The Eyes (don't) Have It

Michele Bachmann is a rising star in American politics but she made a rookie talent mistake when she delivered the Tea Party response to President Obama's State of the Union address.

Check out the video on CNN.com. Notice that Bachmann is not looking into her camera and not talking to the camera as if it were a person. I'm told that she looked at a second camera that was recording her speech for a Tea Party group, instead of the main camera that was broadcasting her live performance. Notice how the lack of eye contact makes the overall impression kind of creepy. Bottom line: Viewers will judge your credibility by your eye contact. Be sure you adjust your studio conditions to give you a comfortable line of sight with the viewers and, obviously, know which camera is on!

Best dressed for the anchor desk... and the story

A website called Styleite has come out with its list of “Best Dressed Newscasters of 2010.” Here’s the link: http://www.styleite.com/media/best-dressed-newscasters-photos/
What does it take to make their list? Wearing lots of black seems to be the calling card of MSNBC’s Rachel Maddow, CNN’s Anderson Cooper and ABC’s Diane Sawyer. The listmakers have an odd obsession with Mika Brzezinski’s shoes, despite the fact that newscasters’ feet are rarely seen on TV.

CNN’s Fredericka Whitfield is praised for a “bold piece of statement jewelry.” Since when are newscasters supposed to be making statements with their jewelry? The people who made this list don’t seem too familiar with the number-one rule for effective on-camera appearance: Notice the person, not the outfit. While I am NOT a hair and makeup teacher, I do mention appearance issues when they interfere with delivering your message on camera. Other guidelines are:

Stick to solid, bold colors.
Avoid all white or all black.
Avoid shiny fabrics, ruffles, prints and patterns.

For women:
-an open V neckline is the most flattering.
-avoid chunky jewelry that draws attention away from your face.

Good examples from the Styleite list are CNN’s Betty Nguyen and FNC’s Megyn Kelly, although Kelly’s cleavage and bare arms would be too daring for some markets or time periods. Keep in mind that these are national news presenters who may receive help with their wardrobe in the form of a consultant, a clothing allowance or freebies from garment manufacturers.

I’d like to nominate a few people that I've already mentioned on this blog. Scroll down to read about Rochelle Ritchie, the multimedia journalist who let her chemically straightened hair go "natural" and New York anchor David Ushery, who stopped wearing a tie for his weekend newscasts. I suspect that these changes made each of these presenters seem more “casual, comfortable and connected” to their respective audiences. If I were a news director, I’d experiment with a casual Friday where newscasters could dress more like their counterparts in most other American workplaces. Find out what your audience thinks.

There’s an old saying about business attire: “Dress for the job you want, not the job you have.” It also applies to on-camera talent. If your goal is to be the friend who connects with viewers on multiple media platforms, you might want to embrace “business casual.” On the other hand, when I teach in developing countries where journalists are trying to establish their credibility, standard business attire is essential for both men and women. There’s also the angle of “dressing for the story.” You wouldn’t wear a t-shirt to a White House news conference or a coat and tie to a forest fire.

Who’s on YOUR best dressed list of news anchors and reporters? Send in your nominations and we’ll publish your feedback in a future post.

Note: the original version of this post first appeared in Professor Terry's Coaching Corner on http://www.the247newsroom.com/

Social Media Boot Camp: Video Rules

It's time to update your social media strategy to include video!

That message was loud and clear at a Social Media Boot Camp for CEOS, presented by a Splash Media. The Dallas-based firm provides one-stop shopping for firms who want to outsource their marketing through social networks. According to presenter John Larsen, search engines favor sites with videos. "People would rather watch the internet than read the internet," he declared.
About half of the 60 business owners in the room got that "deer in the headlights" look as they realized that they will have to appear in front of a camera. The Splash social media package includes the use of a five million dollar production facility in Dallas, with the goal of producing at least one video a month for the company's website. The on-camera talent is generally the CEO of the business. "This is not the amateur hour," Larson said.

So, in theory, everyone who is marketing a product on the web is going to need a talent coach like me! If you are going to spend upwards of $60,000 a year on social media marketing, doesn't it make sense to spend just a little more to make sure you deliver a power performance in front of the camera?
The free workshop included some awesome examples of power performance and storytelling, but my favorite was this one from a company called Blendtec. Check it out on their site, http://www.willitblend.com/, or on YouTube, where it has gotten millions of hits. These guys will throw anything into a blender, including a brand new iPad!