Verbal and Non-Verbal Communication - Case Study Example

Running Head: ANALYSIS OF NONVERBAL COMMUNICATION An Analysis of the Nonverbal Communication of TV Presenters Student’s Name Course Tutor’s Name Date: Introduction Both our non-verbal and intercultural communication skills impact the way in which we conduct informative and persuasive presentations. This is especially the case for TV presenters who have to communicate to people who not only have different worldviews, but have been born and brought up in cultures different from that of the TV host. By nature, television is an audio-visual mass communication medium. In addition to the audio-visual content, TV programmes can communicate to audiences nonverbally. Wang (2009) defines nonverbal communication as the “nonverbal stimuli in a communication setting that are generated by both the source and his or her use of the environment and that have potential message value for the source or receiver” (p. 155). From the foregoing definition, it is clear that there are signs, actions, and/or objects that a communicator uses to pass nonverbal messages. This paper will analyse nonverbal communication from two prominent journalists in the Cable News Network (CNN). They are Richard Quest who hosts the Quest Means Business show, and Larry King (now retired) who used to host the Larry King Live show. This paper proposes that the nonverbal communication adopted by the two TV hosts is a reflection of the content of their programmes and to a lesser degree, their personalities. The paper has an introduction, a discussion section that delves into three nonverbal concepts evident in Larry’s and Quest’s demeanour, and a conclusion that notes that although Larry and Quest are opposites of each other, they have succeeded in using nonverbal communication to effectively complement their verbal messages in their respective programmes. Additionally, they have managed to communicate to their multicultural audiences, who go through acculturation in order to make the messages communicated by the international TV hosts relevant to them. Richard Quest and Larry King: A Comparison of Nonverbal Communication The Quest Means Business programme has been described as a “rollicking business round-up” by McLean (2009, para. 4). However, it is Richard’s eccentric and ebullient nature that lights the programme up. His studio is also a collection of some sort; with McLean (2009) noting that at some point the studio had been fitted with traffic lights, champagne fountains, and vases of apples, all which Richard uses to illustrate points during the programme. Apart from the illustrations he uses in the programme, Richard will smile, grimace or put up an emotionless face during the programme. He can sit still, lean back, lean forward, or move around (e.g. to the video wall) depending on the occasion. The tone of his voice will always vary depending on what he is communicating to his guests and audiences. His dressing, especially his ties are bold and McLean (2009) defines them as “a dazzling array of ties” (para. 13). Larry King on the other hand is a TV host who did not have (or chose not to portray) as much flexibility and agility as Richard. Larry’s studio was like any other ordinary studio, fitted with proper lighting, background and a table. Often, Larry would sit on his table and conduct direct non-confrontational interviews with his guests. He often had a non-impressionable face, and he rarely grimaced or laughed loudly. He would interview all kinds of people ranging from the popular to the obscure people who had done things that were newsworthy. He often spoke in monotone, arguably as a reflection of the serious nature of the topics he covered. He resigned in 2010 after 25 years of hosting the Larry King Live show. Paralinguistics Hynes (2010) defines paralinguistics as properties contained in a person’s voice that are distinct from the words that the person speaks, and which have meaning to the message recipient. Such properties include the articulation, pitch, emphasis, inflection, volume, and nasality of one’s voice. From one’s paralanguage, the message recipient can also get some understanding of the socioeconomic or geographical origin of the communicator (Hynes, 2010). Between Larry and Richard, Larry is the most written about in research papers. Takagi (2008) for example critiqued Larry’s usage of the English language and noted that in addition to his serious and direct questions, he used an inquiring intonation. Consequently, his audiences and guests perceived him as a no-nonsense person. Larry’s intonation also creates the perception that his show was inquiry-based rather than one whose intent was to blame people for specific ills in the society. Takagi (2008) further notes that Larry often used admonishing frames, usually through persuasive words and accent to oppose the opinions of his guests. The latter is a mild nonverbal communication method of insinuating that Larry as the host did not agree with the opinions of his hosts in the show. Larry’s paralinguistic passage of nonverbal messages is mainly observed in his use of emphasis and inflection. Compared to Larry, Richard’s vocal qualities are more diverse. His pitch, emphasis, volume, inflection and tone differ depending on what he wants to emphasise. Arguably, Richard’s use of paralanguage enriches his nonverbal communication since his audiences are able to read the emotions behind his words. Arguably, he is a more dynamic speaker and TV host compared to Larry. However, it is important to note that their shows are different in that Larry King Live was mainly a current affairs show that delved more into the newsmakers with the intention of making audiences understanding them better, while Quest Means Business is a business show where economic and business ideas and hard truths are revealed. Each of the two hosts analysed herein arguably use paralanguage in ways that complement their spoken communication in order to avoid confusing their audiences. Kinesics Kinesics is defined as the “study of human body motion” (Gamble & Gamble, 2013, p. 159). Specifically, kinesics address body language and how variables such as posture, gestures, eye movement, walking speed and facial expression communicate. Some of the most prominent body language where audiences draw meaning from includes facial expression, posture, gestures and eye contact. From kinesics, theorists posit that it is now what one says that matter, but how they say it (Baines, Egan & Jefkins, 2007). From the two TV hosts used in this paper, Richard has a wide array of kinesics as is evident from Appendix A. He can show interest, surprise, anger, and even contempt. Richard for example is not able to hide anger towards people who keep mentioning their products while interviewing with him. In a book authored by Baines et al., (2007), Richard explains how he lost his temper on air with a CEO who kept on mentioning his product instead of answering questions he was asked. The CEO had clearly ignored the nonverbal cues that Richard was issuing, and although on air, Richard had to tell him on live TV to stop the indirect advertising. Larry was more solid with his facial expressions, perhaps because he did not want to appear too critical to the people he hosted on the show. Richard is however a business critic and the very nature of business requires some prodding in order to find hard facts. His posture is just as flexible; he leans forward, sits back and moves around whenever he needs to illustrate something to his audience. Understandably, he is more energetic compared to Larry, but the nature of business also requires flexibility, something that he perhaps attempts to communicate to his audiences. Larry (appendix B) did not move around in his studio, and he rarely stood. However, once he settled in with his guest, Larry would use a lot of arm movement. His eyes would move around quite a lot, and although he sometimes remained bent over his table, he had command in his show. He also had a penetrative gaze, which was obvious from how he looked at his guests, and the manner in which he looked directly into studio cameras. From the nonverbal communication literature (Gamble & Gamble, 2013), eyes reveal a person’s interest or emotional involvement to a subject. By using a penetrating gaze on his guests, Larry communicated that he was interested in the same. The same can be said about his direct look into the camera, hence arguably making audiences feel connected to him. Gamble and Gamble (2013) also note that eyes influence judgement related to perceptions of dominance. In Larry’s show, he was the king, and his eyes arguably said as much. Acculturation Acculturation is defined a process through which people of different cultures change when they meet in order to accommodate each other (Hynes, 2010). The processes can be characterised by confusion and aggression and eventually understanding and peace. Breugelmans, Poortinga, Chasiotis and Sam (2011) indicate that acculturation is a phenomenon that results when people from different cultures continuously interact with each other, thus changing aspects of their original culture. In the two featured TV hosts, aspects of acculturation are seen in the place of work (i.e. CNN and its headquarters in America) and in the international audiences who share distinct cultures from the two presenters. With CNN being an international television, both the Larry King Live and Quest Means Business shows target people from different national and geographical cultures. As Breugelmans, Poortinga, Chasiotis and Sam (2011) indicate, acculturation is a phenomenon that results when people from different cultures continuously interact with each other, thus changing aspects of their original culture. Although Larry is an American-born TV host, he must have been aware that he has a worldwide audience and would hence been careful about his usage of body language among other nonverbal forms of communication. On his part, Richard is a Briton who started working in America after establishing a career in the London-based British Broadcasting Company (BBC). To work well in America, Richard must have undergone some acculturation in order to understand the nonverbal expectancy of his host culture and those of his international audiences. This argument is linked to the nonverbal expectancy violations theory, which posits that “people hold expectations about the nonverbal behaviour of others. When these expectations are violated, people evaluate the violation positively or negatively, depending on the source of violation” (Neuliep, 2013, p. 116). Richard is on record indicating that some people perceive him as the “the most unpleasant ‘funny’ on-air CNN correspondent ever” (McLean, 2009, para. 16). He is also been labelled CNN’s token Briton among other labels that distinguish him as a Briton. As indicated by Eunson (2012), interacting with people from different cultures leads to people developing cultural competencies, which effectively means that a person is able to act in a manner that does not offend people from other cultures. Since Larry does not have an expansive array of nonverbal cues as Richard, one would argue that his nonverbal communication does not stand the risk of offending some cultures who may for example find too much movement in studio to be offending. But perhaps his direct gaze would be interpreted as too domineering by some audiences. Eventually, and as shown in Bennett’s developmental model of intercultural sensitivity, Larry’s or even Richard’s audiences may move from denial to integration, where they eventually accept that that is how American or British TV hosts act, and that their actions are not meant to be offensive at all. Between denial and integration, the Bennett’s model (cited by Eunson, 2012) indicates four more stages namely defence reversal, minimisation, acceptance and adaptation. Conclusion Larry King and Richard Quest are arguably two TV hosts who understand their audiences and have thus adopted nonverbal cues that complement their programmes’ content and even their personalities. From the comparisons, it is evident that Larry’s nonverbal communication made him the command in a show that interviewed people of different nature and stature. His nonverbal language brought soberness to a programme that would otherwise have some casual character. In a way, Larry would indirectly tell his guests and audiences that the seemingly casual matters can be and are indeed serious. Richard on the other hand uses nonverbal communications that make business a rather serious topic, interesting and perhaps easy to understand. The two are opposites of each other, yet they have succeeded in using nonverbal communication to effectively complement their verbal messages. Additionally, they have managed to communicate to their multicultural audiences. References Blaines, P., Egan, J., &Jefkins, F. (2007). Public relations. New York: Routledge. Breugelmans, S.M., Poortinga, Y.H., Chasiotis, A., & Sam, D.L. (2011). Cross-cultural psychology: Research and applications. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press. Eunson, B. (2012). Communicating in the 21st century (3rd Edition). Gamble, T. K. & Gamble, M, W. (2013).Interpersonal communication: Building connections together. London; New York: Sage. Hynes, G. (2010). Managerial communication: Strategies and applications (5th Edition). Boston, MA: McGraw-Hill Education. McLean, G. (2009, June 22). Interview: Richard Quest – “I can’t turn the clock back”. The Guardian. Retrieved from http://www.theguardian.com/media/2009/jun/22/richard-quest-cnn-means-business Neuliep, J.W. (2013). Intercultural communication: A contextual approach (5th edition). London: SAGE. Takagi, S. (2008). Incorporating critical factors into discourse analysis: An analysis of interviewing strategies in a TV talk show. Journal of Language and Culture, Language and Information, 3(3), 71-88. Wang, H. (2009). Nonverbal communication and the effect of interpersonal communication. Asian Social Science, 5(11), 155-159. Appendix A: Richard Quest in Studio Appendix B: Larry King in Studio (different days) Read More