The influence of nonverbal communication in the media performance of public figures

Abstract

This paper examines how the conscious and unconscious non-verbal communication of public figures affects the shaping of attitudes and impressions of the audience. The widest audience forms an impression of public figures based on their media appearances. For the majority of citizens, the media is the primary source of information and a means by which they can indirectly meet prominent figures. Media-recognizable individuals from various professions appear in traditional media-in the press, on radio and television, as well as in new media. For these people, appearances in the media represent an opportunity for successful communication with the public. During these performances, public figures use their verbal and non-verbal communication to create an image of themselves and convey certain messages to a mass audience. Media performance can be seen as one of the most important forms of public performance. Every appearance in front of an audience is considered a public performance in a broader sense, while the specificity of media performance is reflected in the existence of numerous conditions related to the technical and technological characteristics of specific media. Non-verbal communication in media appearances often has a greater impact than verbal communication, because it is more difficult to control. That is why it is believed that this form of communication is more sincere and in this sense significantly affects the perception of public figures by the audience. A successful media appearance by public figures implies the harmony of verbal and non-verbal communication. The research was conducted to determine how much non-verbal communication of public figures affects the audience's opinion of them. Four figures from the public life of Serbia were chosen: actor Miloš Biković, singers Jelena Karleuša and Konstrakta, host and comedian Ivan Ivanović, sincerity, trust, as well as the impression of a person based on the way they dress. The importance of non-verbal communication is particularly reflected in the perception of sincerity and trust in public figures. The survey showed that respondents trust the singer Konstrakta the most, who is also considered the most honest. Her restraint, consistency, and distance in public speaking played a significant role in this research result. The research confirmed previous findings that the most positive impression is achieved by public figures whose non-verbal communication is in line with verbal communication.