Oprah Winfrey Four-minute Eulogy in Metropolitan AME Church, Washington D.C

Analyzing a Presentation
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Analyzing a Presentation
Speeches are one of the most effective ways of communicating effectively with audience members. According to Gan et al. (2019), a presentation can be deemed effective if performed well in terms of intonation, voice, content, and nonverbal actions such as postures, gestures, and facial expression. On the other hand, a presentation can be lacking if characterized by a lack of confidence, anxiety, and insufficient preparation (Gan et al., 2019). After the death of Rosa Parks, one of history’s most respected American civil rights activists, Oprah Winfrey delivered a moving four-minute eulogy in Metropolitan AME Church, Washington D.C. (Winfrey, 2005). This speech by the media personality is characterized by confidence, anticipating and profiling the audience, adapting to the audience, using bias-free language, and expressing courtesy.
Of the essential components of an effective speech is confidence and Oprah demonstrated that right from the beginning to the end. Oprah’s experience in the media perhaps contributes significantly to her confidence in delivering the speech. According to Gallo (2019), members of the audience can tell within a minute whether the presenter is trustworthy based on their vocal attributes and body language. Oprah walks to the podium confidently, and based on the reaction of the audience throughout the speech, one can deduce that she is confident and trustworthy. Oprah’s confidence made the delivery of the speech effective as it allowed her to connect with the audience.
The speech by Oprah shows that she took the time to anticipate and profile the audience. Guffey and Loewy (2018) described that one ought to anticipate the audience and ask questions such as what is the listener like? How will they react to the message? Profiling the audience involves finding who makes the audience, how one relates with them, and how much the members of the audience know about the subject matter (Guffey & Loewy, 2018). From Oprah’s speech, one can tell that she anticipated the audience. She understood that the members of the audience would most likely be church-going Christians, which meant that she had to approach it in a way that was appealing to them. She also understood that the members of the audience comprise individuals who adored Rosa Park. This means predominantly black people who were inspired by her heroic acts during the civil rights movements. Anticipating and profiling the members’ audience helped her develop a speech that resonated with them. In the end, she was able to deliver a speech that connected with most, if not all, members of the audience. Guffey and Loewy (2018) emphasized that even if the message is short, it is always wise to think about the people that make up the audience and tailor the message to them. This is what Oprah did, which made the four-minute speech effective.
Adapting to the audience also contributed significantly to the effectiveness of the presentation. Guffey and Loewy (2018) note that adapting refers to the process of crafting a message that suits the audience. In her presentation, after understanding the audience, it is e...