ABSTRACT
This chapter examines communication in the public sphere, beginning with the characteristics that make public speaking different from other forms of communication and going on to consider the special functions of rhetoric. The focus here is on the factors audience members should consider when thoughtfully and critically evaluating public communication. The importance of understanding the demands inherent in rhetorical situations is stressed.
Speakers are successful to the extent that they build relationships with their audiences. To influence an audience, they must recognize the beliefs, attitudes, and values of audience members and determine the kind of influence best suited to their goals. Here the chapter discusses ways in which speakers emphasize their credibility, attractiveness, and power in persuasive contexts and ways in which receivers can evaluate those attempts.
In order to judge the validity of a speaker’s message, receivers must be able to distinguish valid from invalid arguments. The chapter discusses Toulmin’s model of the structure of argument and considers authoritative, motivational, and substantive appeals, including arguments from cause, sign, generalization, and analogy. It ends by calling on audience members to avoid passively accepting what they hear and instead to take an informed and critical stance.
