A Study on News Anchors’ Meta-Language and Non-Verbal Factors and their Impact on Audiences

Non-verbal communication or body messaging occurs when facial expressions, tone of voice, head and neck movements, smiling and ... affects others; which may be intentional or unintentional. Farhangi in non-verbal communication: the art of using movement and sound” defines this field as such: "Non-verbal communication is phonetic and non-phonetic messages which have been explained by other than language and linguistics means.” (P. 22) News presenters while informing, use nonverbal communication alongside verbal. Because of Announcers’ final role in news production process, they play an important role in influencing minds, persuasion and public opinion shaping. News as the most important output of media need formidable speakers so that the end result can be satisfying. This paper’s aim is studying the nonverbal and non-phonetic factors of presenters in news processes; and its’ influence in shaping and directing the public opinion, understanding the intended agenda of media and its’ role in running tactics and strategies. In this research the survey method was used. The study population was 300 master students of the Tehran central branch of Islamic Azad University. The sample population was 168 students which were calculated through Cochran's formula. Among the 168 distributed questionnaires, 150 responses were received and the results of the research are based on this quantity. The results of this study show that the audiences of news programs believe that the news presenters face attraction is top priority, and they believe that the face can affect the audiences’ absorption by the program. Other non-verbal variables studied in the study are Phonetic signs. The students believe that the presenters can grant positive or negative orientation to the News keywords through phonetic signs and specific tones. Hence convey media’s desired meaning to the audience. According to the survey, respondents believe that news presenters know about the non-verbal factors affecting the audience; and they use meta-linguistic and non-verbal factors consciously, deliberately to influencing the audience.