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News reporters have always been eloquent with their speech to best present information
to the public. With that, reporters are excellent communicators and are able to easily grab the
attention of audiences and captivate them. From columnists to journalists, news reporters hold a
significant amount of power on people’s opinions, especially since that is the first name or face,
we see. One news reporter who excels in communication is Fox News’ reporter, Shannon Bream.
Bream is a Liberty University alumnus who has used her skills in communication to become a
well-known reporter in the field. Like many others, Shannon Bream uses different
communication strategies in the reporting field to captivate her audiences, including her vocal
expression, her appearances when working, and pulls from common experiences to keep
attention.
As we speak, we often use different tones, inflections, and power in our voices to
motivate whoever we are talking with to listen. Vocal expression can further be defined in The
Challenge of Effective Speaking in a Digital Age as “changing pitch, volume, and rate; stressing
certain words; and using pauses strategically” (Verderber et al., 2018). When you are listening to
someone who is mumbling their words and speaking very monotone, it is hard to continue
listening, because there is nothing drawing us in. By talking louder, emphasizing certain words,
and speaking clearly can keep the focus on your topic for a longer period of time. Bream is an
expert at verbal expression, emphasizing on certain words and speaking with clear, loud voice. Viewers
are able to easily follow what she is saying and can stay focused on it from these techniques. In a
broadcast released on December 7, 2021 about travel bans on foreign countries from the emergence of the
omicron variant, Bream begins the story by stressing words like “omicron” and “less” (Fox News
Network, 2021). She does this so that as you are watching this story you are able to understand that we
are talking about the omicron variant of Covid-19 and the it is less dangerous than previous variants.
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When working as a news reporter you must even make the most boring of information into something
interesting and Bream is able to do that with her delightful eloquence and expressions.
Whenever you are going to an event, you usually think about what you are going to wear
to it. Would you wear a three-piece suit to a swim meet? Unfortunately, we live in an age where
assumptions are immediately made of you simply by your appearance, including your clothes.
You must dress according to the environment you are in, no matter what it is, when it is, or
where it is at. If you are overdressed for an occasion, you can be looked at as insincere or even
trustworthy. On the other side of that spectrum, if you appear at an occasion underdressed, you
may be looked at as disrespectful or uncommitted to the topic (Verderber et al., 2018). On
October 8, 2021, Shannon Bream appeared at Liberty University’s convocation. She was invited
to speak and inspire the youth at the school on daily and biblical principles. At the event,
Shannon wore a fitted red pantsuit for her speech (Liberty Live, 2021). The color red is not
usually seen so when our brain sees it, we are immediately drawn to the color. Bream was able to
represent a sense of intelligence and formalness by wearing a pantsuit. These two things served
to be an excellent communication strategy as a speaker.
Lastly, pulling from common experiences helps to keep focus by giving your audience
something to relate to. When Shannon Bream came to talk at Liberty University, she used her
skills as a reporter to relate to what we knew. She brought up examples like finding the one you
love at Liberty, the dress code, and even school buildings (Liberty Live, 2021). All of those
examples are ideas that have deep tradition and history at the college. By giving things that your
audience can relate to, you are able to break down a barrier of trust because you understand now
that the audience is like you in a way. As a reporter, Bream is able to use this strategy to help
have readers and watchers better trust the stories she is reporting on.
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News reporters use skills like these on a daily basis for their profession. The use of vocal
expression helps to take hold of what the audience chooses to hear. Your appearance helps to
capture what your audience chooses to see. Lastly, talking about common experiences helps to
grab the attention of your audience’s emotions. All of these skills helping to get the topic
conveyed and understood to whoever needs it. These communication strategies and more can be
applied to even your future occupation. So, when you are preparing your next speech, talking to
your parents, or even trying to sell an idea, thank about how you can use communication
strategies to help you, like Shannon Bream.
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References
FOX News Network. (2021, December 7). Biden White House re-evaluates travel ban on some
foreign countries amid emergence of omicron variant. Fox News. Retrieved December
11, 2021, from https://www.foxnews.com/shows/fox-news-night.
Liberty Live. (2021, October 8). Shannon Bream - The Women of the Bible Speak. Liberty.edu.
Retrieved December 11, 2021, from
https://watch.liberty.edu/playlist/dedicated/82178501/1_2kfwb3je/1_rqh5boek.
Verderber, R. F., Sellnow, D. D., & Verderber, K. S. (2018). The Challenge of Effective Speaking
in a Digital Age (17th ed.). Cengage Learning.
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