What it takes to communicate

There’s an interesting quote towards the end of a piece in Catholic World News about the Vatican’s new Press Office Director, Fr. Federico Lombardi.

Pope Benedict, he said, is “a very great communicator.” Although he is “not a technician in communications and the media,” he has a gift for transmitting the content of the Christian faith with both clarity and depth.

I can think, right off hand, of a whole lot of people who are technicians in communications and the media, but seriously lack both clarity and depth.

Reflecting on the skillful use of the media that marked the pontificate of John Paul II, Father Lombardi said that he had reached the conclusion that a successful media presence reflects “the coherence, the sincerity, the honesty of one’s personality, and the courage to reveal oneself.” In that respect, he said, Pope Benedict has the same essential qualities as his predecessor.

So, how many elite news stars have a successful media presence, by this measure?