If you are within 100 yards of a TV camera, assume that it is on and pointing at you. It sounds like obvious advice, but many supposedly media savvy people forget this.
•During the first presidential debate of 2004, President Bush winced, pouted and puckered, every time Senator Kerry disagreed with him. The agreed upon rules said no reaction shots would be used of a candidate who was not speaking. But the rules were broken and Bush suffered by looking peevish.
•In 1992, while Bill Clinton was speaking, President George H. W. Bush was caught glancing at his watch, as if he couldn’t wait for the whole d#@n thing to be done. This was not a positive image builder.
•In 1960, Vice President Nixon was repeatedly shown to be frowning and scowling while Senator Kennedy was speaking. TV viewers thought Nixon lost, in part, for the dour look.
But it’s not just presidential big shots who make these blunders. Every day on CNN, CNBC, and Bloomberg TV I see CEOs and other top business leaders get introduced with great fanfare by the anchors of these networks. But then, a funny thing happens. While the network anchor or host is introducing the guest, the on-camera shot switches to the guest WHILE THE ANCHOR/HOST IS STILL TALKING. The guest/business executive erroneously assumes he/she is not on the air yet.
Therefore, the person is sitting there with a blank look. This, of course, looks ridiculous. A blank look on ‘TV makes everyone appear to be bored, boring, listless, dull and unattractive.
If you are in a TV studio or near a camera, assume that it is on. Then, you should act in such a way that you don’t mind your image being shown to viewers, especially when you aren’t talking. If you want to appear consistently as someone who is confident, relaxed, optimistic and pleasant, then you must not be seen frowning, scrunching up your face, scowling, or picking up your nose. For the best results, you should consistently smile, look pleasant, and listen attentively to whoever is speaking.
Don’t assume the camera is off until you have left the TV studio building.
