ABSTRACT
If you are taking a class in advanced public speaking, you have probably alreadydetermined that communication skills are important and worth pursuing. Al -though communication occurs in a multitude of media, you probably also realize that public speaking is a foundational skill required in a host of civic, business, and personal situations. The advent of electronic communication has done little to diminish the ubiquity and everyday importance of public speaking. In fact, electronic transmission of speeches has exponentially expanded speech audiences. Even though live and mediated speeches are not the same communication phenomena, the reach of the mediated speech makes public speaking more, not less important, in the twenty-first century. The meteoric ascendancy of Barack Obama in 2008, in which his extraordinary speaking skills played no small part, is evidence of the continuing importance of speech-making in contemporary politics. Similarly, the rise of Donald Trump in national politics reminds us of the power of oratory delivered to enthusiastic listeners at large rallies.
