In my days as a TV news producer, I could be found early every morning in the control room - that sacred domain with its wall of TV monitors displaying all of the competitors’ morning shows. My job was not only to make sure we were putting on a great show every day – I also had to keep an eye on the competition’s celebrity “gets,” exclusive stories and great visuals.
The goal was to make our show more interesting, more topical, more visual, and at times more outrageous - which meant that no producer wanted a boring, talking-head spokesperson.
Who wants to watch someone sit still or stiffly delivering a monotone monologue?
The screens that always caught my eye - and therefore the audience’s attention - were those that featured lively, animated spokespeople. These on-camera performers used strong, descriptive gestures. They spoke passionately, they told stories, and they used props. The audience paid attention – and we in the control room liked the results in the ratings.
If you get the opportunity to be interviewed on TV, don’t be a talking head!
