Oprah, unlike many other
new anchors and TV personalities, is able to show the affiliation she has for
others in a way unlike anyone else. When interviewing I notice she laughs
and smiles, when appropriate, she is gracious for allowing others to speak with
her, she touches her guest, on the hand or shoulder, and whether the topic of a
serious nature or not the viewer, or at least I walk away feeling touched,
inspired, or open to receiving the information present or extracted from the
interview (O'Hair & Wiemann, 2012, p. 6). Oprah also has a goal in
mind when speaking or interviewing. She does not talk to gossip or
slander but rather to expose a truth, dispel a myth, gain understanding, etc.
She uses her ability to communicate to achieve a specific goal, which is
why she is considered one of the most influential people (O'Hair & Wiemann,
2012, p. 7).
Oprah is influential over
many people, "there is no body else with that kind of consistency and
power", as stated by Dorothy Pomerantz of
Forbes.com (Reaney, 2013). Additionally, Oprah always seems to be
aware of cultural barriers and differences when speaking to others, she
demonstrates appropriate behavior which make you want to spill all the tea! She
is surely one that I have attempted to model some of my own communications
after. She is very successful and a huge portion of that is due to her
ability to communicate. I admire her ability to disagree without making
others feel degraded or intimidated. I admire her sincereness when
speaking with others and respect for differences. I admire her
ability to accept responsibility for her communication, as she often expects
the same when interviewing others (O'Hair & Wiemann, 2013, p.15). My current level of communication is aligned with my experiences, age, and knowledge I have gained through work and personal experiences. As my experiences and knowledge deepen and expand over time and through opportunities my level of communication will change and expect.
References
O'Hair, D., & Wiemann, M. (2012). Real communication. New York: Bedford/St. Martin's.
Reaney, P. (2013). Oprah tops forbes' most powerful celebrity list. Huff Post Media. Retrieved from http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2013/06/26/oprah-forbes-most-powerful-celebrity_n_3500418.html
Talibah,
ReplyDeleteI also like Oprah. When she interviews she listens and builds upon what she has heard from the interviewee. I think when she touches her interviewees, she is giving them the message that she wants to establish a close connection, I like that and I also do that when I speak to close friends.
Talibah, I really enjoyed reading your blog this week. I agree with you that Oprah is an influential speaker. I admire how she has the ability to "o be aware of cultural barriers and differences when speaking to others, she demonstrates appropriate behavior" as you stated. This is a great trait that I would love to have and can hope to learn more about through this course.
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