Friday, December 19, 2008

In Defense of Negativity or Purposeful Speaking

In Defense of Negativity: Attack Ads in Presidential Campaigns (Studies in Communication, Media, and Public Opinion Series)

Author: John G Geer

Americans tend to see negative campaign ads as just that: negative. Pundits, journalists, voters, and scholars frequently complain that such ads undermine elections and even democratic government itself. But John G. Geer here takes the opposite stance, arguing that when political candidates attack each other, raising doubts about each other’s views and qualifications, voters—and the democratic process—benefit.  In Defense of Negativity, Geer’s study of negative advertising in presidential campaigns from 1960 to 2004, asserts that the proliferating attack ads are far more likely than positive ads to focus on salient political issues, rather than politicians’ personal characteristics. Accordingly, the ads enrich the democratic process, providing voters with relevant and substantial information before they head to the polls.

An important and timely contribution to American political discourse, In Defense of Negativity concludes that if we want campaigns to grapple with relevant issues and address real problems, negative ads just might be the solution.



Book review: Stand Your Ground or Healthcare Fraud

Purposeful Speaking

Author: Arthur Koch

Purposeful Speaking
Arthur Koch, Milwaukee Area Technical College

ISBN 10: 0205532314

 

 

Purposeful Speaking is a 4-color version of Koch’s popular introduction to public speaking text, known for its intentionally-brief, nuts and bolts approach.

 

Considered the “best of the brief books” available in the market, Purposeful Speaking has been praised for its simplicity and practical, step-by-step approach to developing and delivering effective speeches.  The book continues to offer a clear, concise approach to the speechmaking process, allowing students to concentrate on the preparation, practice and presentation of their speeches without getting bogged down in theoretical discussions.

 

This version continues to provide a briefer, lower-cost alternative to traditional books, while offering an enhanced full-color design and expanded pedagogy, including all-new chapter reviews, exercises, running glossary and “Working with the Web” boxes.

 

  • Full-color design with all new photographs and figures, including new samples of effective visual aids.
  • All new pedagogy, including chapter outlines, boldface key terms, marginal glossary, chapter review summaries, exercises, “Checklist for Success” boxes,and Internet resource boxes.
  • New MySpeechKit, found at myspeechkit.com, offers students technology resources to complement every chapter, including study questions, video clips, and activities (access code required). 
  • New “Working with the Web” boxes in each chapter provide current online web sites and other resources to give students a starting point for finding speech topics and researching and gathering material to develop their speeches.
  • New appendices after the Informative and Persuasive speaking chapters provide sample speech topics to facilitate brainstorming about possible subjects.
  • Sample speeches and outlines provide useful examples to illustrate the principles discussed in the book.
  • Sample Speech Assignments at the end of each chapter encourage students to put the chapter concepts into practice and emphasize effective delivery.



Table of Contents:

Preface


1 Speech Communication  

The Communicative Act    

Communication Breakdowns   

Listening 

Getting Started

Projecting Confidence

The Truth about Nervousness

How to Develop Self-Confidence

Visual Imagery for Confidence in Public Speaking 

A Script for Using Visual Imagery to Develop Confidence in Speaking

Ethics in Communication

Chapter Review 

Key Terms  

Exercises   

Speech Assignments 

 

2 Audience Analysis 

Who Exactly Is My Audience?  

What Response Can I Reasonably Expect from My Audience?

Will My Audience Find This Subject Useful?

Will My Audience Find This Subject Interesting?

What Is My Audience’s Knowledge of My Subject?

What Demographic Characteristics Should I Consider About My Audience?

Is My Audience’s Attitude Favorable, Indifferent, or Opposed?

Chapter Review 

Key Terms

Exercises

Speech Assignments

 

3 Determine Your Purpose and Subject

Selecting a Subject 

Specific Purpose

The Central Idea

Chapter Review

Key Terms

Exercises

Speech Assignments

4 The Introduction and Conclusion

Objectives of Introductions

Attention Step in Introductions

Types of Conclusions

Sample Full Sentence Outline for a Speech to Instruct

Chapter Review 

Key Terms

Exercises 

Speech Assignments

5 Gathering Supporting Material

Personal Experience and Knowledge

Clustering

The Library

The Librarian

Electronic Resources

The Internet

Ethics in Using the Internet

The World Wide Web

E-mail

Telnet

Usenet

Interviewing

Taking Notes

Chapter Review

Key Terms

Exercises

Speech Assignments

 

6 Supporting Your Ideas 

Examples

Explanation

Statistics

Testimony

Comparison and Contrast

Visual Aids

Computer-Generated Visual Aids

Combined Supports

Chapter Review

Key Terms

Exercises

7 Speech Assignments

Preparing the Content of Your Speech

Organizing Your Speech

Planning the Body

Outlining Your Speech

Body of Speech

Transitions

Chapter Review

Key Terms

Exercises

Speech Assignments

 

8 Delivering Your Speech    

Impromptu Speeches

Manuscript Speeches

Memorized Speeches

Extemporaneous Speeches

Nonverbal Communication

Effective Word Choice

Vividness

Appropriateness

Extemporaneous Method

Sample Delivery Outline

Using Note Cards

Practicing the Speech

Delivery Pitfalls

Chapter Review

Key Terms

Exercises

Speech Assignments

 

9 Informing

Demonstration Speeches 

Description Speeches

Expository Speeches

Guidelines for Informative Speaking

Sample Speech to Inform

Chapter Review

Key Terms

Exercises

Speech Assignments

Appendix: Sample Informative Speech Topics

10 Persuasion

Persuasion Defined

Deductive Reasoning

Inductive Reasoning

Other Forms of Reasoning

Fallacies

Types of Persuasive Speeches

Sample Speech to Convince

Sample Speech to Reinforce

Chapter Review

Key Terms

Exercises

Speech Assignments

Appendix: Sample Persuasive Speech Topics

 

11 Group Communication

The Functions of Discussion

Types of Discussion

Participating in Discussion 

Moderating the Discussion

A Pattern for Problem Solving

Chapter Review

Key Terms

Exercises

 

Glossary

Index 

Photo Credits

Text Credits  

 

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