On the 12th of June, Kuen Cheng Broadcasting Club held a talk on hosting online titled “Charismatic Hosting In The Internet Era” over Zoom video platform. Online presentations have become commonplace because of the lockdown, so these skills are becoming especially important. The speaker of the talk was the Broadcasting Club’s coach, Mr Cheah JC.
Mr Cheah graduated from Shih Hsin University in Taiwan, where he majored in Communication Media, specialising in Broadcasting, TV and Film. He also worked as a DJ in the radio station AI FM. He has also hosted for famous television stations such as 8TV, NTV7 and TV2, and was once a speaker for New Era University College.
Firstly, Mr Cheah talked about how to prepare for a presentation. The first step is to compile and understand the content of our presentation, followed by making sure we have the right equipment like our PPT (PowerPoint) presentation, laptop, webcam and microphone. Practicing speaking beforehand also helps. In addition, we should dress properly.
After that, Mr Cheah stated that a suitable venue was also one of the most important things for a good presentation. A suitable room is one that is quiet, small, and without any disturbances. However, it must also be well-lit and spacious enough to present. Furthermore, we must make sure the devices, like the battery and internet connection are in good condition.
Mr Cheah then shared some techniques on holding a good online presentation. In a presentation, we must be consistent and reasonable. Our speech should be clear, specific and at a steady speed that people can understand.
Mr Cheah also discussed why people are generally unable to present well. The first reason is that people are not confident when presenting, followed by the fact that most people are not used to online presentations. He also explained that a lack of preparations and experiencing panic during unexpected circumstances also contribute to this problem.
However, he said that having enough practice can solve these problems. For example, we can practice by speaking in front of the mirror or recording ourselves talking and reviewing it afterwards. We can also ask for feedback from others around us. Apart from that, we must believe that we have the confidence to present well. Meanwhile, picking up different tips and techniques from experienced hosts can also help us handle any mistakes and incidents.
The talk ended with a Q&A session, where the audience asked questions like “how to make a presentation more natural” and “how to deliver a speech calmly”. Mr Cheah took the opportunity to remind the audience that practicing proper speech is key to improving one’s presentation ability. In the end, Mr Cheah hoped that the audience took away something important from this talk.
