Public Speaking and Civic Engagement (2nd Edition)

Public Speaking and Civic Engagement promotes public speaking as a vehicle for civic engagement by showing the reader how to address issues, think critically, engage in productive dialogue, formulate sound arguments, and develop an ethic of advocacy. The civic engagement theme is unique in that it envisions public speaking as a vehicle for promoting the common good, while also emphasizing its role in personal advancement and fulfillment. By using specific examples―of students, of citizens engaged in community affairs, of historic and contemporary public figures―the book teaches the reader how to address substantive issues that impact their communities at local, state, national, and international levels.

New to this Edition:

• New examples and updated information in every chapter, reflecting recent political and economic developments like the election of Barack Obama and the Great Recession. Recent cases, for example, the scandals involving Illinois Governor Rod Blagojevich and financier Bernie Madoff are used to illustrate points about the ethics of communication. Also included are inspirational examples, like the story of how pilot Chesley “Sully” Sullenberger became a national hero after he safely landed his crippled Airbus A320 on the Hudson River on January 15, 2009. 
  
• More illustrations and excerpts from actual student speeches, including an annotated outline of one student speech. This edition also uses new examples from other student speeches to illustrate the different types of speeches, various organizational patterns, and other topics and principles throughout the book to provide students with a wide variety of examples from which to learn.
  
• New, expanded treatments of important topics, including communication apprehension, critical listening, citing sources in oral presentations, and racial and gender stereotyping, providing students with extensive knowledge to apply to their own speech preparation process.  In response to recent political developments, this edition also includes expanded treatment of deliberative forums, including town hall meetings. 
  
• New “Highlighting” features on listening and leadership, stereotypes in the media, the importance of local newspapers, visual literacy, and conducting public meetings, among other topics, show students the significance of contemporary communication situations and contextualize the readings. 
  
• New “Focus on Civic Engagement” features on finding common ground, the importance of public service, radical prejudices, and other topics–all ensure that students are learning about current situations in which other students around the country are actively engaging and making a difference. These features aim to inspire students to utilize their public speaking skills to better their communities.
  
• New annotated speeches, including a controversial commencement address at Notre Dame by President Barack Obama, and a keynote address at the National Prayer Breakfast by Secretary of State Hilary Clinton.  We also added new annotated speeches by a local physician calling for health care reform, and a student at Penn State concerned about global warming. These speeches bring to life everyday issues while their respective speakers represent the diverse range in people who speak publically for what they believe in.