The necessity of visual aids: an old-school usage of the mighty whiteboard
When asked about the person who I admire the most as a public speaker, I was struggling to pick out a particular name. Do I pick a speaker who delivered a ground-breaking speech that put the audience in awe and had a large impact on the course of history, like MLK with his “I have a dream”? Or do I pick a speaker who gave a fantastic TED talk, like Carla Harris, the current Vice Chairman and Managing Director at Morgan Stanley, who fought through prejudice and hardships to conquer Wall Street? After hours of deliberating, a name crossed my mind.
Katie Porter
Katherine Moore Porter is a U.S. Representative for California’s 45th congressional district, holding the position since 2019. Porter has earned her reputation through her determined and stern questioning of officials during congressional hearings and the relentless pursuit of justice for the American people. Porter is a force to be reckoned with and I would not want to be in her opponent’s shoes.
At the start of the Corona crisis in the United States, Porter interrogated the chief of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention to agree in using its legal authority to make testing for the virus-free of charge for all Americans.
Recently, Katie Porter berated big pharma over price gouging of Revlimid, a cancer drug, whose cost rose from $215 in 2005 to $763 in 2020. “To put that into perspective, you hiked the price by $500, when the average Orange County senior only has $528 left in their bank account after they have paid their basic monthly expenses. The average orange country experience cannot afford even one pill.” Straight facts.
Porter’s hearings are captivating. Porter leans into the microphone to give some words whilst seated resolutely in her seat. She turns to her left, and with a strong sense of determinacy, swiftly jots down the enormous numbers. Her bombardment of powerful men with daring questions commences. A temper so fierce, that I would dare say that she is a spitfire. Using visual aids during congressional meetings, Porter is able to put technical terms into perspective.
“I want to turn to one other number if you would help me”. She scribbles $13 million. “Does it ring any bells?”. This was the amount in USD of the compensation of the CEO in 2017. This is 200x the average American’s income. Priceless.
For me, Katie Porter checks all the factors of effective communication. In a world driven by profits and corruption, Katie Porter takes the stage with her competence of mastering the art of rhetoric and public communication with her severe tone and a strong pursuit of justice,. As a listener, her relentless drive and spitting of cold hard facts are what inspire me. Succinct and straight to the point, the speed at which she defeats her opponents is what is most enthralling. Who knew that a black marker and a good old whiteboard was the only thing you needed for a good grill?