Let's do an interview analysis.
On April 5, Stephen Roach, a former Morgan Stanley Asia Chairman and current senior fellow at Yale University's Jackson Institute for Global Affairs, joined CNBC's Melissa Lee and the Fast Money traders to give his insights on the current state of US-China relations.
First, watch the interview.
Here are three takeaways from this interview:
One: Let's discuss the format.
CNBC means "consumer news and business channel."
CNBC's target viewers are considered "power brokers," well-educated, affluent, predominantly white, and male.
According to Erdos and Morgan Custom, a CNBC viewer can be a C-Suite executive or government relations professional in a Fortune 1,000 company who is financially responsible in a corporation or area of government, respectively.
Unlike Bloomberg with its Upper East Side Manhattan vibe, CNBC is more Nassau County, NY, and Morris County, NJ, meaning it is more accessible with less stuffy financial analysis.
So Roach taking the interview makes sense - an ideal audience, and her delivery is a good fit for the CNBC universe.
Two: Looking at the screen and not the camera.
When doing a remote interview utilizing one's computer equipment, it is paramount to remember to talk to the camera and not the face on your computer monitor or screen.
Not only is failure to speak to the camera a sub-par experience for the TV audience viewer, but you ultimately broadcast your head rather than your face.
Your face is an important form of non-verbal communication and a prime source of information you intend to broadcast.
Check out the screenshot below.
From the start, Roach fails and never speaks to the camera throughout the interview.
Roach needs improvement.
I give the good professor here a gentleman's incomplete.
Three: Dropping knowledge but not making it stick.
To close the interview, Lee asks Roach if US companies should prepare for retaliation risks due to House Speaker Kevin McCarthy's (R-CA) meeting with Taiwan's President Tsai Ing-wen.
Roach's response is factual and plausible, but it is delivered in a meandering fashion over 60 seconds and concludes with "I have no idea."
"I have no idea," what?
The whole point of Roach being on the program is to provide his ideas.
When confronted with a situation where you genuinely don't know what will happen - predicting the future is impossible - deliver to the audience specific risks they should be watching and patterns as an expert you are seeing.
For example, a better response from Roach would have been: "I can't predict precisely if China will retaliate, but here are three things your audience should be mindful of. [LIST THEM ONE, TWO, THREE.]"
It is important to remember that when you are booked on a news program, the producer, the host, and the audience expect you to have an idea, even if it is impossible.
Overall, Roach is well-informed, knowledgeable, and obviously competent on US-China relations. However, his remote interview needs a refresh; he would benefit from media training, and remember your interview is about connecting with the TV audience.
If you need help with speaking to the press and prepping for an interview, Caracal is here to help with executive media training. Learn more here.
Enjoy the ride + plan accordingly.
-Marc
ITK Daily is geopolitical business intelligence for senior executives with global ambition.
ITK Daily curates news @ the intersection of globalization, disruption, politics, culture, + sport and provides actionable insights and sharp commentary.
