The power of Oprah
Everyday millions tune in to see Oprah Winfrey with her powerful media hold on our televisions, her record-breaking publication of her same name magazine and her effect on our society worldwide. She serves as the ultimate success story in America as her rise from a poor black child in Mississippi to possibly the most powerful woman in entertainment.
She was born in Kosciusko, Mississippi. Her early years reflect neglect, abuse and poverty but she overcame. She enrolled at Tennessee State University to study speech and performing arts. At the age of 19, she landed her first broadcasting job as a reporter for radio station WVOL in Nashville, TN. She switched majors her sophomore year to media and becomes the first African-American anchor at WTVF-TV in Nashville.
From then on her rise in broadcasting became meteoric. She ultimately landed her own talk show that has now been on the air for 20 years. She owns all the rights to her show that is broadcast daily from her own television studio. Her media resume includes television, movies, Broadway producer and magazine publisher. She has become a lobbyist and advocate for her pet causes as well. Her fans tune in to hear the latest on anything from Oprah and are true devotees. What she says and does carry the seal of a heavy weight and has become known as the Oprah Effect. The Oprah effect has been known to create an upheaval both good and bad.
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In 1996 Oprah featured the now-famous program in which she had allowed a debate between Gary Weber of the National Cattlemen's Beef Association (NCBA) and vegetarian activist Howard Lyman. Lyman had easily won the argument, horrifying Oprah and her audience with vivid details about cannibalistic animal-feeding practices and their link to England's outbreak of mad cow disease. Angry, the cattlemen had responded by pulling $600,000 dollars in advertising from Oprah's network and were already threatening legal action. The ultimate moment being when Oprah said that she had been "stopped cold from eating another burger" by what was discussed. Oprah was subsequently sued by the beef industry under the labeling of "food disparagement." Beef futures on the Chicago market did fall during the subsequent time period but beef sales did not show any discernable dip at all. Oprah was eventually cleared of any wrongdoing but the fact that there was a perceived effect from one simple statement of opinion, shows how powerful the Oprah effect may be.
The portrayal of medical procedures has also come under attack on the Oprah show. Doctors are concerned that Oprah's show sometimes showcases procedures treatments before doctors have determined how effective they are, who they are best suited for and how safe they are. Critics say that people trust Oprah to much, when they're willing to put down thousands of dollars on cosmetic procedures, despite the medical risk.
No place has the Oprah effect been felt more than in book sales of the books picked to be featured selections for her book club. Recent statistics show that prior to Oprah's selection for the book club: 11 of 45 books made USA Today's top 150 best-seller list with the highest reaching 25th. And after Oprah's selection: the first 11 books selected which were all unranked the previous week rocketed immediately into the top four. In addition Oprah selected books generally averaged longer stays on best-seller list than other books and the chosen books that later made paperback best-seller lists averaged 6.5 weeks in top 25. Authors continue to clamor to be picked as an Oprah favorite.
And finally those products picked to be among Oprah's now famous Oprah's Favorite Things Show (and lists) experience phenomenal sales success after being featured on the Oprah show or in her magazine. Countless numbers of small companies tell the tale of almost being besieged by new consumers anxious to have their product whether it is soap, brownies or cashmere sweaters.
