Persuasive Public Speaking

In the post-truth era, persuasion is central to how people understand current and social issues, filter their exposure to divisiveness and polarization, and participate in the democratic process. This new era requires educators to rethink persuasive public speaking pedagogy. Persuasive public speaking instructors must reconsider the importance of training engaged, aware, critical, and socially conscious citizens. It is crucial for students to appreciate the role of persuasive speaking in producing and consuming messages and be taught to identify and avoid the intentional distortion of truth. Fortunately, research supports the claim that persuasive public speaking pedagogy, especially training in civic engagement, argumentation, and information literacy, can improve students’ civic skills and abilities to navigate our complex information ecosystem.