Featur e C&E Online Pundit Poll
Readers voted for their favorite talking heads on the left and the right.
Who is your favorite progressive talk politics show host?
Rachel Maddow 32% Jon Stewart 31% Chris Matthews 25% Keith Olbermann 6% Lawrence O’Donnell 5%
Who is your favorite conservative talk politics show host?
Bill O’Reilly 35% Rush Limbaugh 30% Sean Hannity 16% Glenn Beck 11% Laura Ingraham 8%
Who is your favorite progressive pundit?
James Carville 50% Katrina vanden Heuvel 13% Paul Begala 13% Donna Brazile 12% Arianna Huffington 12%
Who is your favorite conservative pundit?
Charles Krauthammer 36% Pat Buchanan 22% Brit Hume 17% Karl Rove 15% Ann Coulter 10%
phrase, such as, “I think that’s really the point here,” can transition the conversation while you regain your train of thought. Also, be prepared for just about anything to happen.
Veterans of cable television news shows all have night- mare tales of at least one on-camera appearance gone awry. For example, the time their earpiece fell out, they couldn’t hear the host, or they were completed blindsided by the topic. Be prepared to address these issues calmly, perhaps by coming up with a polite way of letting the host know that you can’t hear the question due to a mal- functioning earpiece.
Jaime Watt, Executive Chairman, Navigator Ltd. After the Hit
Kaminsky Putala, a consultant with Kaminsky Putala Pub- lic Relations who previously booked television for Re- publican lawmakers on Capitol Hill. “I tell all of my clients that, and the advice I give them is to act as though you are viewable to the audience at all times no matter what,” she says. “You don’t know when they’re going to cut to a split screen, you don’t know if you’re going to be cut to on a break.” Also, if there’s an extra television in the room, turn it off; it will only distract you during your hit. Be sure to come prepared with three solid points ready for discussion—and work the most important of them into your response to the interviewer’s opening question. It’s also a good idea to have at least one catchy sound bite on the top of your head. And if you’re ever at a loss for words, Amos Snead, a communications veteran with Sto- ry Partners who previously managed radio and television media for top Republicans in the House, advises having a “fall-back word” or a “bridge” word. Even a generic
22 Campaigns & Elections | Canadian Edition
Once the cameras stop rolling, it’s a good idea to write a note of thanks to the producers or bookers who invited you onto the show. “You have some writing to do right after you go on television,” says Snead. “The cameras are off, and the pen and pad comes out. So much of this is relationship based.” Once you’ve been on television, be prepared for peo- ple to notice—everyone from your colleagues to your high school classmates. But along with flattering notes from long-lost cousins, several consultants warn that you should expect harsher feedback as well. “I’ve gotten quite a bit of hate mail over the past couple of years, particular- ly when I go on something like Hannity,” said Elleithee. “You got these people out there who are less than stable, who send you less than stable e-mails. In the beginning it wasn’t so harsh, but now it’s gotten to the point where I’ve stopped showing my wife.” It’s best not to respond to these e-mails, experts say. Nonetheless, that’s a small price to pay for the boost that television appearances can give to your career.
Shira Toeplitz is a political writer based in Washington, D.C. She has appeared on MSNBC, FOX, CNBC, and CNN Headline News.
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