In 1996 , speakers at the '' Democratic National Convention '' , held at the United Center in Chicago , Illinois , used three teleprompters , to the left , right and center of the speaker 's lectern ( as well as a fourth prompter monitor next to the paper script and embedded in the lectern itself ) , rather than the traditional two-prompter system , a modification subsequently adopted by both the Democratic and Republican parties for future conventions : the two glass teleprompters on either side of the speaker , which create the illusion that the speaker is looking directly at the audience in the hall , are joined by a third , much larger teleprompter screen , known as a ' confidence monitor ' , which is placed immediately below the broadcast TV cameras which are located some distance away from the convention stage on a specially-constructed broadcasting gantry . This placement of the center prompter creates the illusion that the speaker is periodically looking straight into the camera lens , and thereby appearing to directly address the audience watching the televised Convention coverage
Democratic National Convention
1996 Democratic National Convention
Teleprompter