Chapter FourChoosing a Topic and Developing a StrategyI. Choosing a topic and developing a strategyDuring our first lecture we talked about the canon’s of rhetoric. Who created these? What are they?A. InventionB. ArrangementC. StyleD. DeliveryE. MemoryII. Understanding the Rhetorical SituationA. The audience1. Identification with the audience2. Antagonizing listeners- not identify with the audienceB. The occasion1. Ceremonial concerned with praise2. Deliberative focus on future and what should be done3. Forensics focus on the past and judgmentC. The speaker your interest in the subject and ethos affects how audience views you speechD. The speech length, clarity, structure, support materials used, formality, extent tells a story, degree accepts feedback, etc.III. What makes a good topic?A. Importance of the speaker - be careful not to let bias show to muchB. Interesting to the audienceC. Worthy of the listener’s timeD. Appropriateness of scopeE. Appropriateness of oral deliveryF. ClarityG. Ease of finding researchIV. How to choose a good topic?A. Conduct a personal inventory. Book gives following questions1. What public issues do you care about?2. What of your experiences might be generalizable?3. Which of your interests overlap with those of the audience?**** What additional questions could you ask in conducting a personal inquiry?B. Use finding aids1. Brainstorming/ Lists2. Print source materialsC. Narrow the topicV. Developing a strategic planA. Identifying the purpose1. Providing the information or perspective2. Agenda setting- Make think about something not know a lot about or ignored3. Creating positive or negative feelings4. Strengthening commitment- Make an audience feel stronger about something they already agree with5. Weakening commitment- Have an audience weaken what they already believe in6. Conversion-Change views7. Inducing a specific action- ex. write a congressman, plant a tree, etc.B. Identifying the constraints1. From audiences in generala. Attention spans are limitedb. Audience resist being talked down to2. From your specific audience analysis3. From your ethos as a speakera. Constraints of positive ethosb. Constraints of negative ethos4. From the nature of your topic5. From the rhetorical situationC. Identifying the opportunities1. Information advantage2. Audience analysisD. Selecting the meansVI. Developing the purpose statement and the thesis statementA. The purpose statement1. Focus on the audience rather than the speaker2. Summarize a single idea3. Precise and free of vague languageGeneral overall goal of speech; Specific statement of desired outcome from audienceB. The thesis statement1. Stated in a single phrase2. Worded precisely3. Fits constraints of the situationVII. Analyzing the thesis statementA. Identifying the issue1. Pose questions about the thesis2. Flesh our the assumptionsB. Why identify the issue1. Determine what the speech must cover2. Directs research3. Modifies thesisVIII.
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