ABSTRACT
The electronic media – in particular such innovations as digital television or the internet – are often said to be rapidly transforming the world in which we live; and, partly because they are so conspicuous, they come to occupy a privileged position in shaping our understanding of communication. In the present climate of continuous technical innovation in the electronic media, our oldest technology of communication – the power of speech – goes almost unnoticed. The attention that it does receive is often restricted to the rehearsal of local prejudices about what counts as ‘good’ or ‘bad’ or ‘correct’ speech.
