INSIDE THE MASS MEDIA

OF MARC WATTS

INSIDE THE MASS MEDIA

OF MARC WATTS

JOURNALISM INSTRUCTOR

THE GREATEST SERVICE A DISTINGUISHED JOURNALIST CAN BESTOW IS TO OFFER THEIR CAREER AS A WORKBOOK OF EDUCATION TO THIS GENERATION OF STORYTELLERS. IF YOU THINK YOU’RE SO GOOD AT IT PASS IT ON, AND LET’S SEE HOW MANY SUCCESS STORIES YOU CAN SPROUT INTO THE WORLD OF JOURNALISM AND MASS COMMUNICATIONS.

THE PROFESSOR

Marc has been described as a talent guru and communication virtuoso. These are descriptions from client testimonials and teaching reviews Marc has received. Today he is one of the most sought-after communication instructors and journalism coaches in the professional sector. Some even call him the GOAT, when it comes to the art of presentation and teaching someone how to communicate with impact. This book is dedicated to his story and what he does so well, to the people and careers he has impacted. Marc is a master storyteller. I don’t mean as in the sense of a novelist, such as James Patterson or Tom Clancy. Marc’s brilliant gift is helping people convey a message through a story; a news clip, an article, a blog, a speech, a talking point for an expert analyst, a hot take from a sports analyst, seizing the moment in a broadcast booth, a power point presentation, a Ted talk and the 120-second live shot. He once told me people consume content in electronic pulses, and that whether people read, see or listen to something, it’s useless unless it earns consumer affinity. That was his way of telling me a long time ago, what has since been proven by social media, that people enjoy consumption of content in bite size chunks. Marc’s lessons educate those of us who consider ourselves influencers, how to purvey content that wins affinity with those who consume it. That’s Marc’s specialty and he teaches it and executes it better than anyone.

 

Excerpt from “The Artful Safari of a Broadcast Journalist”

 

MARC’S SPECIAL SKILL. HOW DOES MARC DO IT?

The simple answer is, it takes one to know one. Marc has his own unique perspective. Trust me when I tell you this. There is no one wired like him. Daniel Rodriguez, the retired Army Sergeant and war hero from the famous Battle of Kamdesh, described it best when he said Marc is playing on a different field with a higher intellect, when he’s teaching. Daniel is one of the leading motivational speakers on the circuit and he once took a symposium Marc taught. This former soldier, who is trained to pick up on the details and detect the B.S., basically said Marc put on a master class on how to stand out when speaking.

 

It comes down to the fact that he’s studied syntax so much, that he knows what words work and which words fail. Of course it helps that he’s done a ton of public speaking himself. So he knows all the power words and phrases to implement into someone’s speech, while getting them to gradually purge puny vocabulary. Broadcast, digital or print—Marc possesses the winning glossary depending on the type of essay the storyteller is trying to write. Most people are happy with common-speak. Marc is not one of those people.

 

THERE IS NO ONE SIZE FITS ALL

Marc goes forward with undaunted initiative on how to make someone a better communicator. A firm believer that no two people are exactly alike, he detects the strengths of someone’s communicator portfolio and builds from there.

 

“And all this time I thought I had to have a baritone deep voice,” a client told Marc.

“The octave which you speak, is merely one component to your voice. There’s pacing, pause, energy, sincerity and expression just to name a few that also define your voice,” responded Marc which brought music to his client’s ear.

 

Much has been written on public speaking, unrealistically conveying to verbal communicators that they can have it all. “Follow these five tips and you’ll master the Ted talk.” Simply not true says Marc. “There are very few five-tool players when it comes to professional communicators. Most of them only have only two or three of the five tools, and waste time trying to acquire the other skills, instead of building upon the two or three solid traits that already exist in their toolbox.”

 

Excerpt from “The Artful Safari of a Broadcast Journalist,” by Stephen Ihli