In general, when you are being interviewed on television, the quieter the background, the better. Noise can be a distraction for the viewer and take away from your message and image.
But not always.
Sound can add to your story and message. Those of you who are regular listeners to National Public Radio or the BBC already know this when it comes to radio, but it applies to TV as well.
Case in point: When former President Jimmy Carter is interviewed around the globe, he is often at the site of a Habit for Humanity house in the process of being built. Obviously, in the process of building a home, there is lots of clatter from hammers, saws, etc. Of course, Carter could ask his fellow volunteers to stop hammering while Carter goes on national television to comment on the issues of the day. But Carter, wisely, does not ask the volunteers to stop hammering.
The hammering in the background is an audio reminder to the audience “hey, I’m not out on the golf course or living it up with royalty—I’m here building houses for needy people, and you should be too!â€
Regardless of whether you are a fan of Carter as an ex-president (I am), there is no mistaking his ability to forge an image of himself as someone who is genuinely committed to helping needy people receive homes through the efforts of community volunteers—something that is hard for anyone across the political spectrum to find fault with.
Carter may occasionally stumble into verbal gaffes in his many interviews around the globe, but he still shows sound judgment when it comes to his use of non-verbal sound and image during his media interviews.
Originally published as Media Skills: Background Noise During an Interview by TJ Walker for SpeakingChannel.TV
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