StudentShare
Contact Us
Sign In / Sign Up for FREE
Search
Go to advanced search...
Free

Why Oprah is a Great Interviewer - Assignment Example

Cite this document
Summary
The writer of this paper suggests that Oprah has been a household name for 25 years and is celebrated as one of the best talk show hosts. Barbara Walters calls her as “the best interviewer ever” (Boedeker, 2010)…
Download full paper File format: .doc, available for editing
GRAB THE BEST PAPER94.2% of users find it useful
Why Oprah is a Great Interviewer
Read Text Preview

Extract of sample "Why Oprah is a Great Interviewer"

Considered as one of the best living American writers, McCarthy has written 10 novels in the span of four decades but never once was he interviewed on television. This is what makes this Oprah interview special. Because this is a first for McCarthy (Winfrey, 2008), we might expect that he will be uncomfortable and might find it difficult to answer some of the questions. To prevent this from happening, Oprah went to Santa Fe where McCarthy is working so that he will be in a familiar setting and reduce the anxiety since there are no other people in the room (except for the cameraman, of course).

Moreover, Oprah chose to open the interview with the obvious question: Why did McCarthy never have any TV interview? This was something that the world-renowned author can easily address this because he probably rehearsed this a number of times in different interviews before. From this question, Oprah went on to ask subtle, more personal questions so as to understand how McCarthy works and what inspires him to do what he does. Oprah’s interview had a good combination of direct, open-ended questions.

The progression of her questions was well-timed, starting with a question pertaining to the author’s work before going into details which will force the interviewee to “think deep” and “reach into the heart” to find the answers. Aside from the questions, Oprah also showed a real interest in the information being provided by the interviewee. She looks directly at McCarthy and she provides her own reactions to his responses. While I am pretty sure that she had an interview agenda, she does not have it written down, she has remembered all the questions she wants to ask, but she phrases it in the same language used by her interviewee.

This way, she improves the communication between them, and it also allows the interviewee to feel that Oprah was really listening to what he was saying.

Read More
Cite this document
  • APA
  • MLA
  • CHICAGO
(Why Oprah is a Great Interviewer Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 483 words, n.d.)
Why Oprah is a Great Interviewer Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 483 words. Retrieved from https://studentshare.org/people/1584237-assignment-2
(Why Oprah Is a Great Interviewer Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 483 Words)
Why Oprah Is a Great Interviewer Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 483 Words. https://studentshare.org/people/1584237-assignment-2.
“Why Oprah Is a Great Interviewer Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 483 Words”, n.d. https://studentshare.org/people/1584237-assignment-2.
  • Cited: 0 times

CHECK THESE SAMPLES OF Why Oprah is a Great Interviewer

Southeast Asia: Film and Music

The story lines behind the shows reflect a sense of homogeneity and to a great extent, reveal what sells in Thai popular culture.... According to Vichitsorasatra, the soap opera look into the lives of teenagers making decisions about when to engage in sex, why to engage in sex, and who they should engage in sex with (2013).... According to Vichitsorasatra, the soap opera looks into the lives of teenagers making decisions about when to engage in sex, why to engage in sex, and who...
6 Pages (1500 words) Essay

Talkshows in America

The topics selected for Talk Shows are mostly sensitive or have great... A man being a social animal and the most knowledgeable living being on the earth has always craved for such means of entertainment that will not only amuse him but also provide him with knowledge.... Humans have always been in search of different mediums that will help them to live a meaningful life....
18 Pages (4500 words) Essay

Popularity of Reality Shows

The essay "Popularity of Reality Shows" analyzes the factors of the immense spread of reality shows on the TV.... Reality TV shows are indeed becoming popular on our screens in the present times due to various reasons.... Mainly, it depends on the laws and regulations in the regions where the degree is commonly aired (Anderson, 2005)....
6 Pages (1500 words) Essay

Makers: Women Who Make America

Through the powerful and intimate interviews with women achievers, known or unknown, the viewers are given great illustrations on opinions or views of women pioneers in the specified fields (Groer 45).... Directed by America's major independent film makers, Makers generates new life and great unforgettable experiences that every person, male or female, should understand.... For example, political personalities like Hillary Clinton, and television stars like oprah Winfrey....
2 Pages (500 words) Essay

Career Development

Self-efficacy can be described as the value or belief in one's capacity to execute and organize the course action necessary to administer prospective circumstances.... Self-efficacy in other word is the personal… 69). It is evident that the correlation amid self-efficacy and achievement usually gets stronger as learner advance in school....
8 Pages (2000 words) Coursework

The Popularity of the Oprah Winfrey Show in Kuwait

This essay "The Popularity of the oprah Winfrey Show in Kuwait" offers a critique of the effects of the oprah Reality Show on Kuwait's traditional culture.... The oprah Winfrey show is viewed in 122 countries across the globe.... Notably, the popularity of the show and high regard given to oprah herself as a form of authority in society has contributed to its numerous effects on the audience.... Evidently, oprah Winfrey has mastered the art of gaining the attention of the audience....
5 Pages (1250 words) Essay

Effect of Mobile Entertainment to Children

The main focus of the paper "Effect of Mobile Entertainment to Children"  is on examining such aspect as the usage of mobile phones, the mobile technology functions, the church and religious leaders, disadvantages and what to do about them, communication handsets, different homogeneous groups....
9 Pages (2250 words) Essay

The Oprah Winfrey Show

By addressing a large variety of social, political, and cultural issues, Winfrey is able to reach and appeal to a great many people.... This essay "The oprah Winfrey Show" presents the oprah Winfrey Show as one of the most popular and widely viewed day-time television programs available today.... nbsp; The interview is group-style, with oprah asking each individual in turn about his first criminal acts against minors.... nbsp; Normally, the topic of sexual abuse of minors might involve interviews with the victims (something oprah has surely done many times)....
1 Pages (250 words) Essay
sponsored ads
We use cookies to create the best experience for you. Keep on browsing if you are OK with that, or find out how to manage cookies.
Contact Us