The Great Communicator
Has there ever been a more natural communicator on the world stage than Barack Obama? I’m not really looking for an answer, I’m just mesmerised by the man’s easy charm, his comfort levels when faced with difficult questions – or questions designed to embarrass – and his ability to make even the most controversial political position seem just simply like good common sense. It is an immense gift.
Ronald Reagan earned the media title of “the great communicator”, but to me Obama gives an object lesson in how to handle the media, and any political inquisitors, that is second to none.
There was a marvellous moment in the hour-long Brown and Obama press conference on the eve of the G20 summit. As a side point, I only saw it by watching a re-run of it via the red button of Sky News around 10pm that night, fully expecting to watch just the first few minutes and then move on to the Sport. Instead, I watched the whole hour.
What I most enjoyed, came after the opening exchanges and the detailed questions from the US and UK heavy hitters, when our man from The Sun was called for his question. It was designed to embarrass and asked Obama what he thought about Brown blaming the US for the problems facing the world economy, for the French blaming the UK and the USA, what he thought of London, and also if he had any tips for England’s football team in their world cup qualifier that night.
In a classic example of how to deal with this situation, Obama started with the football question, and drew some easy laughs by saying how hopeless he had been in predicting the winners in the basketball play-offs. He moved on to speak warmly of London and its people. He completely disarmed the situation, and by the time he turned his attention to the loaded political questions his answers were measured, the potential banana skin had been avoided and the media pack were eating out of the palm of his hand. It was a masterclass.
Written by Kevin Taylor, CCgroup, first published in his capacity as President of the Chartered Institute of Public Relations on his blog prvoice.typepad.com, 6 April 2009