Um Thank UM You?

Today, I was responsible for presenting to the class, unobtrusive research methods, with a focus on content analysis. This meant, I had to do my own form of research in order to be able to speak about it for at least a half hour. What I learned was very interesting. Since I already presented, I will simply summarize my findings, clear and concisely.

    Unobtrusive research is when we don’t interfere with the day to day life of the subject we are studying. It helps the researcher to reduce bias and leads to more accurate results. Unobtrusive research is also extremely economical. When discussing unobtrusive research content analysis, I spoke to the class about how content analysis is analyzing the different forms of content that are presented before you. Word count is the most often used technique of content analysis. We can understand what the author stresses as the most important part of the work, through the use or words.

     After my presentation, Professor Laskin mentioned to the class a study that was done in which the Thank You Speeches of a prior Academy Award Ceremony were analyzed. The jist of the study explained how the use of parasite words, such as um and like, take away from the actual speech itself.

    Now, onto the Entertainment Public Relations part….

     Having good expression through oral communication is an intricate part of any person in the entertainment world. As a Entertainment Public Relations professional, it becomes essential that I work with my clients and set them up with the appropriate speech coaches. A client that can’t express themselves in a well mannered way, without the use of distracting words, is a harmful one. They are making themselves look bad in the public light. People lose sight of the fact that someone has just won an award, and zero in on them sounding ignorant.

    A study (http://abcnews.go.com/Technology/story?id=97983&page=1 ) done by psychologist, published by ABC news, puts it simply as the uhs and the ums in a speech, “These phrases mean 'I need to make sure you realize I'm delaying because I'm having trouble.'" I find this very interesting.

    I would never want my client to look like they were having trouble when in the spotlight. That is why I think it is important for all in the entertainment business to practice public speaking. The way one delivers themselves can make or break their image. In this world, image is everything.