Tips for Better Pictures = Tips for Better Speechwriting

During a major file fling last week (such a liberating feeling), I unearthed a 1998 folder from Eastman Kodak titled "Tips for Better Pictures." It struck me that the same principles apply to speechwriting:

Show one subject clearly / Get closer / Simplify the background / Place subject off-center / Experiment with lighting / Try a different viewpoint

Digital cameras and cell phone photography have eclipsed the 35mm film featured in the Kodak folder, but otherwise little has changed. To me, the medium isn't the message; content matters most. If Marshall McLuhan were still around, I'd happily debate him on this matter. (He's not; McLuhan would turn 100 this year.)