The best communicator alive today is Keith Olbermann. This is not because of his politics and opinions, which are highly questionable and inflammatory in this writer's opinion, but because of his ability to incisively analyze an issue and present it in a compelling manner that draws his audience's interest. He is fascinating to watch and listen to, and he engages his viewing audience by looking them directly in the eye. His words are well crafted, with no extraneous clutter; he gets right to the point, and he sharpens that point with well-chosen words. Al Gore, who hired Olbermann to his own Current network after Olbermann was fired from MSNBC, said of him, "Keith Olbermann is a gifted thinker, an amazing talent and a powerful communicator..." (Mooney, 2011). Joel Hyatt, the executive vice chairman and co-founder of Current says of Olbermann, "He speaks truth to power. He calls them as he sees them. He speaks his mind. Our society needs his kind of thoughtful analysis and commentary" (Mooney, 2011). Olbermann avoids hyperbole, which generally weakens any speaker's impact; instead, he uses his words the way a painter uses colors in a painting. To make a sharp point, he reduces it to just a few pithy words and delivers them with staccato emphasis. If he wants to engage in explanation, he uses more words but includes only those that make his point, eliminating everything that would detract from the impact of his message. His strongest communication skills are his ability to engage the audience with his direct gaze and his ability to deliver his message in a manner that enhances its import. His weakest communication skill is his tendency to read situations incorrectly, although his audience would not pick up on this weakness unless that had previous knowledge of his topic, because he is so convincing.
Other great communicators of the past included Ronald Reagan, Will Rogers,
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