speech on the topic responsibility

Speech about Responsibility [1,2,3,5 Minutes]

1 minute speech about responsibility.

Responsibility is a key factor in life. It is the ability to take care of yourself and others. It is also the process of taking responsibility for your own actions and those of others.

The importance of responsibility can be seen in many different aspects, such as family life, business, law enforcement and more.

When you are given a task, you should be responsible for it. It is important to take ownership of your work and to make sure that the work is done well.

It is important to take responsibility for your work and ensure that it meets the standard of quality.

The idea of fulfill your responsibility is simple – you should take care of the things you are responsible for.

Quotes of some internationally famous personalities for Speech on Responsibility

• “He who is different from me does not impoverish me – he enriches me.”
• “Freedom makes a huge requirement of every human being. With freedom comes responsibility.”
• “I don’t know what your destiny will be, but one thing I do know: the only ones among you who will be really happy are those who have sought and found how to serve.”
• “For to be free is not merely to cast off one’s chains, but to live in a way that respects and enhances the freedom of others.”
• “To whom much is given, much is required.”
• “Our prime purpose in this life is to help others. And if you can’t help them, at least don’t hurt them.”
• “Do your little bit of good where you are; it’s those little bits of good put together that overwhelm the world.”
• “Life’s most persistent and urgent question is, ‘What are you doing for others?'”
• “A man must be big enough to admit his mistakes, smart enough to profit from them, and strong enough to correct them.”
• “It is our choices that show what we truly are, far more than our abilities.”
• “The price of greatness is responsibility.”
• “Tell me and I forget. Teach me and I remember. Involve me and I learn.”
• “You must be the change you want to see in the world.”
• “Take sides. Neutrality helps the oppressor, never the victim. Silence encourages the tormentor, never the tormented.”
• “The best way to not feel hopeless is to get up and do something. Don’t wait for good things to happen to you. If you go out and make some good things happen, you will fill the world with hope, you will fill yourself with hope.”

2 Minutes Speech about Responsibility

It is important to recognize the importance of responsibility and to take it seriously. It can be a difficult task to manage your responsibilities, but it is something that you need to do in order for your life to be balanced.

The purpose of this speech is to discuss the importance of responsibility and how it can help you in achieving balance in life.

Responsibility is one of the most important values in life. It gives us a sense of purpose and identity, it helps us to be more productive, and it makes us feel good about ourselves.

In today’s world, we are often faced with the dilemma of balancing our personal needs and responsibilities against those of others. This can be especially challenging when it comes to work life balance, which can be difficult for some people who are trying to provide for their families while also attending school or working full time. However, there are many ways you can fulfill your responsibility at work by being mindful about how you interact with others and what you do on a daily basis.

3 Minutes Speech about Responsibility

With the emergence of the internet, people are more likely to forget about their responsibilities. This can have a negative impact on their life, as it leads to a lack of self-control and other consequences.

If you want to put an end to this, then try doing things that are important for you and your family. For example, if you want to get back in shape again, then start with small things like walking or biking instead of driving everywhere.

You should also take time out from social media platforms – because it is not just about what you share online but also how much time you spend on them each day.

Many people say that they have no responsibilities. They think that they are entitled to everything and anything and don’t need to do anything in return. This is a wrong approach and you should not take it.

If you want to be successful in life, then you should fulfill your responsibilities by doing what is expected of you. It will help you build relationships with others and lead a happy life.

It is our responsibility to fulfill our role in society.

A good example of fulfilling your responsibility is when you are a parent. As a parent, it is your responsibility to provide the best for your children and make sure they are well taken care of.

5 Minutes Speech about Responsibility

There is a lot of debate about the importance of responsibility. Some people believe that it is not important and that we should focus on the things which make us happy. However, there are many benefits to taking responsibility in life.

One of the most important responsibilities we have as human beings is to take care of our planet. This can be done by reducing our carbon footprint, recycling, and making sure we give back to society.

The concept of responsibility can be applied in many different ways in life – personal and professional – so it’s important for us to understand what it means to take responsibility before moving forward with our lives.

The importance of responsibility is something that everyone should be aware of. It is important to take responsibility for your actions and also to be responsible for your actions.

Some people might not have the opportunity to have a job, but they still need to take responsibility for their lives. This can be done by taking care of their family members or by taking care of themselves.

There are many ways to do your responsibilities in the workplace. You can delegate them to others, you can take on more tasks than you can handle, or you could just not do anything at all.

The latter strategy is not recommended because it will lead to a very unproductive work environment and burn out. It’s important that you use your time wisely and make sure that your responsibilities are fulfilled.

There are some things that we owe to the world and it is our responsibility to fulfill them. They may be small or big but it is our duty to make the world a better place.

Some of these responsibilities are:

– Being a good friend

– Being a good citizen

– Taking care of your family members

Examples of sentences that can be used in starting of this speech

Examples of sentences that can be used in closing of this speech, speeches in english.

• Speech on women’s empowerment
• Speech on social media
• Speech on environment
• Speech on gender equality
• Speech on poverty
• Speech on Global Warming
• Speech on Environmental Pollution
• Speech on Earth Day
• Speech on Discipline
• Speech on Human Rights
• Speech on Education
• Motivational speech for students
• 2-minute Self-introduction speech examples
• Speech on Mahatma Gandhi
• Speech on freedom fighters
• Speech on APJ Abdul Kalam
• Speech about friendship
• Speech about Technology
• Speech on Parents
• Speech on Health
• Speech on Health and Fitness
• Speech on Health and Hygiene
• Speech on Mental health
• Speech on Yoga
• Speech on Doctor
• Speech about Life
• Speech on sports
• Speech on Racism
• Speech on Population or overpopulation
• Speech on Overcoming Fear
• Speech about Family
• Speech on Mobile Phones
• Speech on water conservation
• Speech on Honesty
• Speech on Culture
• Speech on Unity in diversity
• Speech on Peace
• Speech on Time
• Speech on Success
• Speech on Leadership
• Speech on Nature
• Speech on Career
• Speech about Music
• Speech on Democracy
• Speech on Noise Pollution
• Speech on Air Pollution
• Speech on Gratitude
• Speech on Time management
• Speech on Dance
• Speech on Climate Change
• Speech on Artificial Intelligence
• Speech on Cyber security
• Speech on Teamwork
• Speech on Goal Setting
• Speech on Plastic Waste Management
• Speech on Feminism
• Speech on Bhagat Singh
• Speech on Books
• Speech on Laughter is the Best Medicine
• Speech on Swami Vivekananda
• Speech on Road Safety
• Speech on Cyber Crime
• Speech on Energy Conservation
• Speech on Online Education
• Speech on Quaid-e-Azam
• Speech on Allama Iqbal
• Speech about Rainy Day
• Speech about Teachers’ day
• Speech about Graduation
• Speech about Love
• Speech about Football
• Speech about Money
• Speech about Anxiety
• Speech about Politics
• Speech about Nelson Mandela
• Speech about Kindness
• Speech about Cleanliness
• Speech about Deforestation
• Speech about Agriculture
• speech about Cricket
• Speech about Unemployment
• Speech about Birthday
• Speech about Patience
• Speech about the Value of Time
• Speech about Positive Thinking
• Speech about Knowledge is Power
• Speech about Games
• Speech about Indian Culture
• Speech about Appreciation
• Speech about Farming
• Speech about Debut
• Speech about Purpose
• Speech about Hardwork
• Speech about Thank you / Thankfulness / being thankful
• Speeches about Communication
• Speech about Dreams and ambitions 
• Speech about Confidence
• Speech about traveling and Tourism
• Speech about Corruption
• Speech about the millennial generation
• Speech about Success and Failure
• Speech about Environmental Awareness
• Speech about Life Goals
• Speech about Stress
• Speech about the Life of a Student
• Speech about Social Issues
• Speech about Mom
• Speech about God
• Speech about Plants
• Speech about Fashion
• Speech about Basketball
• Speech about Business
• Speech about Smile
• Speech about Animals
• Speech about Passion
• Speech about Youth Empowerment
• Speech about Youth Leadership
• Speech about Responsibility
• Speech about Plastic Pollution
• Speech about Courage
• Speech about Homework
• Short Speech about Engineering
• Speech about Positive Attitude
• Speech about Dad
• Speech about my Favourite Teacher
• Speech about Electricity
• Speech about pen
• Speech about Family Problems

Related Posts:

• Social Responsibility an Managerial Ethics MCQs
• Difference Between Authority And Responsibility
• Literacy Mobilizer Job Responsibility, Description and Duties
• Monitors Job Responsibility, Description and Duties
• Speech about pen [1,2,3 Minutes short Speech]
• Speech on women's empowerment [1, 2, 3, 5 Minutes]

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Module 13: Ethics in Public Speaking

Ethical speaking.

In January, 2012, an Australian politician, Anthony Albanese, presented a speech to the National Press Club. Several people criticized this speech, saying that he stole lines from Michael Douglas’s character  (the U.S. President) in the movie The American President . Several specific lines from Albanese’s speech did seem to mirror Douglas’s monologue, with only the names changed. The Liberal Party federal director, Brian Loughnane, claimed that this shows Albanese is “unoriginal and devoid of ideas.” Others stated that he should be embarrassed and should apologize to the Parliament. [1]

What do you think about Albanese’s speech? Was this a simple mishap? A funny prank? Something more serious? What do you think this says about Albanese’s character? His reputation as a politician? Assessing your attitudes and values toward this situation is the same as considering how ethics play a role in public speaking.

Ethical public speaking is not a one-time event. It does not just occur when you stand to give a 5-minute presentation to your classmates or co-workers. Ethical public speaking is a process. This process begins when you begin brainstorming the topic of your speech. Every time you plan to speak to an audience—whether it is at a formal speaking event or an impromptu pitch at your workplace—you have ethical responsibilities to fulfill. The two most important aspects in ethical communication include your ability to remain honest while avoiding plagiarism and to set and meet responsible speech goals.

Integrity is telling myself the truth. And honesty is telling the truth to other people. – Spencer Johnson

Be Honest and Avoid P lagiarism

Credible public speakers are open and honest with their audiences. Honesty includes telling your audience why you’re speaking (thesis statement) and what you’ll address throughout your speech (preview). For instance, one example of dishonest speech is when a vacation destination offers “complimentary tours and sessions” which are really opportunities for a sales person to pitch a timeshare to unsuspecting tourists. In addition to being clear about the speech goal, honest speakers are clear with audience members when providing supporting information.

One example of dishonest public communication occurs in the music industry where many cases of illegal melody lifting exist. For example, a famous Beach Boys song titled Surfin’ USA is actually a note-for-note rendition of a 1958 Chuck Berry song. Though it may be common, the practice of not properly crediting an author for his or her work is unethical. Other examples of deceitful communication include political speeches that intentionally mislead the public. For instance, a former White House press aide, Scott McClellan, claims that President Bush misled the American people about reasons for the Iraqi war. McClellan claims that the President had manipulated sources in order to gain support for the war. Such claims can be damaging to one’s reputation. Thus, responsible public speakers must actively avoid plagiarism and remain committed to honesty and integrity at all costs.

Mimi & Eunice, “Thief” by Nina Paley. CC-BY-SA .

Identify Your Sources

The first step of ethical speech preparation is to take notes as you research your speech topic. Careful notes will help you remember where you learned your information. Recalling your sources is important because it enables speaker honesty. Passing off another’s work as your own or neglecting to cite the source for your information is considered plagiarism . This unethical act can result in several consequences, ranging from a loss in credibility to academic expulsion or job loss. Even with these potential consequences, plagiarism is unfortunately common. In a national survey, 87 percent of students claimed that their peers plagiarized from the Internet at least some of the time. [2] This statistic does not take into account whether or not the plagiarism was intentional, occurring when the writer or speaker knowingly presented information as his or her own; or unintentional, occurring when careless citing leads to information being uncredited or miscredited. However, it is important to note that being unaware of how to credit sources should not be an excuse for unintentional plagiarism. In other words, speakers are held accountable for intentional and unintentional plagiarism. The remainder of this section discusses how to ensure proper credit is given when preparing and presenting a speech.

A liar should have a good memory. – Quintilian

There are three distinct types of plagiarism—global, patchwork, and incremental plagiarism. [3]   Global plagiarism , the most obvious form of plagiarism, transpires when a speaker presents a speech that is not his or her own work. For example, if a student finds a speech on the Internet or borrows a former speech from a roommate and recites that speech verbatim, global plagiarism has occurred. Global plagiarism is the most obvious type of theft. However, other forms of plagiarism are less obvious but still represent dishonest public speaking.

If you tell the truth, you don’t have to remember anything. – Mark Twain

“Rainbow Dahlia quilt” by Holice E. Turnbow. CC-BY-SA .

Sometimes a student neglects to cite a source simply because she or he forgot where the idea was first learned. Shi explains that many students struggle with plagiarism because they’ve reviewed multiple texts and changed wording so that ideas eventually feel like their own. Students engage in “‘patchwriting’ by copying from a source text and then deleting or changing a few words and altering the sentence structures.” [4]   Patchwork plagiarism is plagiarism that occurs when one “patches” together bits and pieces from one or more sources and represents the end result as his or her own. Michael O’Neill also coined the term “paraplaging” [5] to explain how an author simply uses partial text of sources with partial original writing. An example of patchwork plagiarism is if you create a speech by pasting together parts of another speech or author’s work. Read the following hypothetical scenario to get a better understanding of subtle plagiarism.

Three months ago, Carley was talking to her coworkers about expanding their company’s client base. Carley reported some of the ideas she’d been pondering with Stephen and Juan. The three employees shared ideas and provided constructive criticism in order to perfect each notion, and then mentioned they’d revisit the conversation over lunch sometime soon. A week later, Carley shared one of her ideas during the company’s Monday morning staff meeting. Carley came up with the idea, but Stephen and Juan helped her think through some of the logistics of bringing in more clients. Her peers’ input was key to making Carley’s client-building idea work. When Carley pitched her idea at the company staff meeting, she didn’t mention Stephen or Juan. She shared her idea with senior management and then waited for feedback.

Did Carley behave unethically? Some would say: “No!” since she shared her own idea. Did Carley speak honestly? Perhaps not because she didn’t account for how her idea took shape— with the help of Stephen and Juan. This scenario is an example of how complicated honesty becomes when speaking to an audience.

The third type of plagiarism is incremental plagiarism, or when most of the speech is the speaker’s original work, but quotes or other information have been used without being cited. Incremental plagiarism can occur if, for example, you provide a statistic to support your claim, but do not provide the source for that statistic. Another example would be if a student included a direct quote from former president Ronald Reagan without letting the audience know that those were Reagan’s exact words. Understanding the different types of plagiarism is the first step in ensuring that you prepare an honest speech.

Decide When to Cite

When speaking publicly you must orally cite all information that isn’t general knowledge. For example, if your speech claims that the sun is a star, you do not have to cite that information since it’s general knowledge. If your speech claims that the sun’s temperature is 15.6 million Kelvin, [7] then you should cite that source aloud. Ethical speakers are not required to cite commonly known information (e.g., skin is the largest human organ; Barack Obama was elected President of the U.S. in 2008). However, any information that isn’t general knowledge must be orally cited during a speech. The same is true in the text of a speech outline: cite all non-general information.

The OWL, an online writing lab at Purdue University, provides an excellent guide for when you need to cite information (see Table 3.1). Understanding when to include source material is the first step in being able to ethically cite sources. The next step in this process is to determine how to appropriately cite sources orally and in written materials.

Cite Sources Properly

You’ve learned the importance of citing sources. Now that you know why written and oral citations are important to the ethical process of public speaking, let’s focus on how to cite supporting speech material. Studies show that oftentimes students do not cite a source because they’re unsure of how or when to cite a reference. Shi’s study describes some typical responses for why students did not cite sources, such as “I couldn’t remember where I learned the information,” or “I had already cited that author and didn’t want the audience to think all of my information was from some outside source.” Though these rationales are understandable, they are not ethical.

Understand Paraphrasing and D irect Quotations

Next, it is important to understand the process for paraphrasing and directly quoting sources in order to support your speech claims. First, what is the difference between paraphrasing and directly quoting a source? If you research and learn information from a source—the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), for instance— and then share that information in your own words; you don’t use quotation marks; but you do credit the CDC as your source. This is known as a paraphrase —a sentence or string of sentences that shares learned information in your own words. A direct quote is any sentence or string of sentences that conveys an author’s idea word-for-word. According to the APA (American Psychological Association), when writing speech content, you must include quotation marks around an author’s work when you use his or her keywords, phrases, or sentences. This would be relevant for a speech outline, a handout, or a visual aid. It is also important to specify a direct quote when you are orally citing during your speech. This indicates to the audience that you are using the original author’s exact words. While it is acceptable to use the phrases “begin quote” and “end quote” to indicate this to your audience, such phrases can be distracting to the audience. One way to clearly and concisely indicate a direct quote is to take a purposeful pause right before and after the quoted material. This differentiates between your words and the source material’s words. See Table 3.2 for examples of how to paraphrase and directly quote an author, both in written speech materials and for an oral citation.

Develop Accurate Citations

Ethical speakers share source information with the audience. On written materials, such as handouts or speech outlines, citations are handled much like they would be in any essay. In addition to written citations, oral citations provide source information to audience members who may not see your written speech. In all citations, enough information should be given so that the audience can easily find the source.

You may choose to briefly describe the author before citing him or her to lend credibility to your supporting information. Writing style guidebooks, such as APA or MLA (Modern Language Association), teach that a source’s credentials are not necessary in the text of your paper. We can interpret that the same is true for providing oral citations in a speech–the author’s occupation, the source website, or the journal name are not required but may be helpful verbal cues to explain the legitimacy of your chosen source. You should provide enough information so that an audience member can locate the source. For instance, it might be useful to describe the doctor as a leading pediatrician–after which you would state the doctor’s last name, year of publication, and the quote or paraphrase. To orally paraphrase a Langer quote (see example poster in Figure 3.1), you might say to your audience:

I really agree with Langer (1989), who wrote in her book Mindfulness, that our world is constructed from the categories we build in our mind. I find that I interpret the world based on my initial understanding of things and have to mindfully force myself to question the categories and biases I’ve formally created in my head. 

Note, the Langer paraphrase provides the author’s last name, year of publication, and the title of the book should an audience member want to find the orally cited source.

Ethical speakers provide written, oral, and visual citations. Visual aids, discussed in Chapter 13, include posters, objects, models, PowerPoints, and handouts. Visual aids are used to enhance your speech message. Visual aids, just like speech content, must be displayed ethically for the audience. In other words, if you use a poster to display a famous quote, then you should cite the author on your poster (see Figure 3.1). Similarly, you should cite sources on your PowerPoint throughout the presentation . It is not sufficient to include a “Sources” or “References” slide at the end of your PowerPoint because that does not accurately link each author to his or her work. Instead, ethical presenters provide an author reference on the slide in which the cited content is shown (see Figure 3.2).

Speakers should also carefully select and correctly cite images displayed in their visual aid. Images should be relevant to the keywords used on your PowerPoint slide. In other words, captions are not necessary because the image can stand alone; images you display should obviously correlate with your speech content (a caption is typically used because the picture needs explanation). In other words, the presence of a caption typically means your image does not directly correspond with the verbal speech material. Images should support, not distract, from the verbal or visual message. Hence, there is no need for blinking, rotating, or otherwise distracting visual aids. [11] Images should be simple and relevant. All pictures should be cited, unless the presenter uses a personal, clipart, or purchased stock image. To cite an image, simply include the credit (or web link) to that picture; note, however, the font size of the link should be reduced so that it is visible to the audience without distracting from the content in your visual aid. Seeing an image link should not be distracting to audience members.

“Question copyright” by Ttog~commonswiki. CC-BY-SA .

It’s also important to understand how copyright law might affect what and how you include information in your speech and on your visual aid. The fair use provision allows for copyrighted information to be shared if it is used for educational benefits, news reporting, research, and in other situations. Nolo explains, “In its most general sense, a fair use is any copying of copyrighted material done for a limited and ‘transformative’ purpose, such as to comment upon, criticize, or parody a copyrighted work. Such uses can be done without permission from the copyright owner.” [12] In order to determine if the use of content falls under the fair use provision, there are four factors to consider:

• How will this be used?
• What is to be used?
• How much will be used?
• What effect does this have? [13]

You can find more about these four factors at the U.S. Copyright website .

Ethical citing includes crediting authors in the text of your written speech materials, acknowledging authors aloud during your speech, and citing images and sources on your visual aid. However, ethics in public speaking encompass more than crediting source material. It’s also necessary to strive for responsible speech goals.

Ethics and equity and the principles of justice do not change with the calendar. – David Herbert Lawrence

Set Responsible Speech Goals

Jensen coined the term “rightsabilities” to explain how a communicator must balance tensions between speaker rights and responsibility to others. Ensuring that you have responsible speech goals is one way to achieve ethical communication in public speaking. There are several speech goals that support this mission. This section will focus on five goals: 1) promote diversity, 2) use inclusive language, 3) avoid hate speech, 4) raise social awareness, and 5) employ respectful free speech.

“U.S. Air Force” by Tech. Sgt. Keith Brown. Public domain.

Promote Diversity

One important responsibility speakers have is fostering  diversity, or an appreciation for differences among individuals and groups. Diversity in public speaking is important when considering both your audience and your speech content. Promoting diversity allows audience members who may be different from the speaker to feel included and can present a perspective to which audience members had not previously been exposed. Speakers may choose a speech topic that introduces a multicultural issue to the audience or can promote diversity by choosing language and visual aids that relate to and support listeners of different backgrounds. Because of the diversity present in our lives, it is necessary to consider how speakers can promote diversity.

One simple way of promoting diversity is to use both sexes in your hypothetical examples and to include co-cultural groups when creating a hypothetical situation. For example, you can use names that represent both sexes and that also stem from different cultural backgrounds. In the story about Carley and her co-workers, her co-workers were deliberately given male names so that both sexes were represented. Ethical speakers also encourage diversity in races, socioeconomic status, and other demographics. These choices promote diversity. In addition, ethical speakers can strive to break stereotypes. For instance, if you’re telling a hypothetical story about a top surgeon in the nation, why not make the specialized surgeon a female from a rural area? Or make the hypothetical secretary a man named Frank? You could also include a picture in your visual aid of the female surgeon or the male secretary at work. Ethical speakers should not assume that a nurse is female or that a firefighter is male. Sexist language can alienate your audience from your discussion. [14]

Another way that sexist language occurs in speeches is when certain statements or ideas are directed at a particular sex. For example, the “Selecting a Florist” speech described at the beginning of this chapter may be considered sexist by many audience members. Another example is the following statement, which implies only males might be interested in learning how to fix a car: “I think that fixing a car is one of the most important things you can learn how to do. Am I right, guys?” Promoting diversity is related to using inclusive language, discussed in the following sections.

Excellence is the best deterrent to racism or sexism. – Oprah Winfrey

Use Inclusive Language

Avoiding sexist language is one way to use inclusive language. Another important way for speakers to develop responsible language is to use inclusionary pronouns and phrases. For example, novice speakers might tell their audience: “One way for you to get involved in the city’s Clean Community Program is to pick up trash on your street once a month.” Instead, an effective public speaker could exclaim: “One way for all of us to get involved in our local communities is by picking up trash on a regular basis.” This latter statement is an example of “we”  language —pronouns and phrases that unite the speaker to the audience. “We” language (instead of “I” or “You” language) is a simple way to build a connection between the speaker, speech content, and audience. This is especially important during a persuasive speech as “we” language establishes trust, rapport, and goodwill between the speaker and the audience. Take, for example, the following listener relevance statements in a persuasive speech about volunteering:

“You” language: You may say that you’re too busy to volunteer, but I don’t agree. I’m here to tell you that you should be volunteering in your community.

“We” language: As college students, we all get busy in our daily lives and sometimes helpful acts such as volunteering aren’t priorities in our schedules. Let’s explore how we can be more active volunteers in our community.

In this exchange, the “you” language sets the speaker apart from the audience and could make listeners defensive about their time and lack of volunteering. On the other hand, the “we” language connects the speaker to the audience and lets the audience know that the speaker understands and has some ideas for how to fix the problem. This promotes a feeling of inclusiveness, one of the responsible speech goals.

Avoid Hate Speech

Another key aspect of ethical speaking is to develop an awareness of spoken words and the power of words. The NCA Credo of Ethical Communication highlights the importance of this awareness: “We condemn communication that degrades individuals and humanity through distortion, intimidation, coercion, and violence, and through the expression of intolerance and hatred.” [15] Words can be powerful—both in helping you achieve your speech goal and in affecting your audience in significant ways. It is essential that public speakers refrain from hate or sexist language. Hate speech, according to Verderber, Sellnow, and Verderber, “is the use of words and phrases not only to demean another person or group but also to express hatred and prejudice.” [16]  Hate language isolates a particular person or group in a derogatory manner. Michael Richards, famous for the role of Cosmo Kramer on Seinfeld , came under fire for his hate speech during a comedy routine in 2006. Richards used several racial epithets and directed his hate language towards African-Americans and Mexicans. [17] Richards apologized for his outbursts, but the damage to his reputation and career was irrevocable. Likewise, using hate speech in any public speaking situation can alienate your audience and take away your credibility, leading to more serious implications for your grade, your job, or other serious outcomes. It is your responsibility as the speaker to be aware of sensitive material and be able to navigate language choices to avoid offending your audience.

No matter what people tell you, words and ideas can change the world. – Robin Williams

Raise Social Awareness

Speakers should consider it their ethical responsibility to educate listeners by introducing ideas of racial, gender, or cultural diversity, but also by raising social awareness , or the recognition of important issues that affect societies. Raising social awareness is a task for ethical speakers because educating peers on important causes empowers others to make a positive change in the world. Many times when you present a speech, you have the opportunity to raise awareness about growing social issues. For example, if you’re asked to present an informative speech to your classmates, you could tell them about your school’s athletic tradition or you could discuss Peace One Day —a campaign that promotes a single day of worldwide cease-fire, allowing crucial food and medicine supplies to be shipped into warzone areas. [18] If your assignment is to present a persuasive speech, you could look at the assignment as an opportunity to convince your classmates to (a) stop texting while they drive, (b) participate in a program that supports US troops by writing personal letters to deployed soldiers or (c) buy a pair of TOMS (tomsshoes.com) and find other ways to provide basic needs to impoverished families around the world. Of course, those are just a few ideas for how an informative or persuasive speech can be used to raise awareness about current social issues. It is your responsibility, as a person and speaker, to share information that provides knowledge or activates your audience toward the common good. [19]

“Raising John T. Williams Memorial Totem Pole” by Joe Mabel. CC-BY-SA .

One way to be successful in attaining your speech goal while also remaining ethical is to consider your audience’s moral base. Moon identifies a principle that allows the speaker to justify his or her perspective by finding common moral ground with the audience. [20] This illustrates to the audience that you have goodwill but allows you to still use your moral base as a guide for responsible speech use. For example, even though you are a vegetarian and believe that killing animals for food is murder, you know that the majority of your audience does not feel the same way. Rather than focusing on this argument, you decide to use Moon’s principle and focus on animal cruelty. By highlighting the inhumane ways that animals are raised for food, you appeal to the audience’s moral frame that abusing animals is wrong—something that you and your audience can both agree upon.

If we lose love and self-respect for each other, this is how we finally die. – Maya Angelou

Employ Respectful Free Speech

We live in a nation that values freedom of speech. Of course, due to the First Amendment, you have the right and ability to voice your opinions and values to an audience. However, that freedom of speech must be balanced with your responsibility as a speaker to respect your audience. Offending or degrading the values of your audience members will not inform or persuade them. For example, let’s say you want to give a persuasive speech on why abortion is morally wrong. It’s your right to voice that opinion. Nevertheless, it’s important that you build your case without offending your audience members— since you don’t know everyone’s history or stance on the subject. Showing disturbing pictures on your visual aid may not “make your point” in the way you intended. Instead, these pictures may send audience members into an emotional tailspin (making it difficult for them to hear your persuasive points because of their own psychological noise). Freedom of speech is a beautiful American value, but ethical speakers must learn to balance their speech freedom with their obligation to respect each audience member.

Fortunately for serious minds, a bias recognized is a bias sterilized. – Benjamin Haydon

• ABC News. (2012, January 25). Albanese accused of plagiarising Hollywood speech. Retrieved from http://www.abc.net.au/news/2012-01-25/albanese-accused-ofplagiarising-speech/3793486 ↵
• Cruikshank, B. (2004). Plagiarism: It’s Alive! Texas Library Journal , 80 (4), 132–136. ↵
• Lucas, S. E. (2001). The art of public speaking (7th ed.). New York: McGraw-Hill. ↵
• Shi, L. (2010). Textual appropriation and citing behaviors of university undergraduates. Applied Linguistics, 31(1), 1–24. ↵
• O’Neill, M. T. (1980). Plagiarism: Writing Responsibly. Business Communication Quarterly , 43 , 34–36. ↵
• Stolley, K., & Brizee, A. (2011, August 24). Avoiding plagiarism. Retrieved from https://owl.english.purdue.edu/owl/resource/589/01/ ↵
• Nine Planets. (2011). The Sun. Retrieved from http://nineplanets.org/sol.html ↵
• Rohr, R. (2011). Falling upward: A spirituality for the two halves of life. San Francisco, CA: JosseyBass. ↵
• Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. (2012). Are you at high risk for serious illness from flu? Retrieved from http://www.cdc.gov/Features/FluHighRisk/ ↵
• Langer, E. J. (1989). Mindfulness. Cambridge, MA: Da Capo Press. ↵
• Danoff-Burg, J. (2002). PowerPoint writing guide. Retrieved from http://eices.columbia.edu/education-training/see-u/dr/ppt_writing.html ↵
• Nolo. (2010). What is fair use? Copyright and fair use, Stanford University Libraries. Retrieved from http://fairuse.stanford.edu/Copyright_and_Fair_Use_Overview/chapter9/9-a.html ↵
• Harper, G. K. (2007). Copyright Crash Course. Retrieved from http://copyright.lib.utexas.edu/copypol2.html ↵
• Driscoll, D. L., & Brizee, A. (2010, July 13). Stereotypes and biased language. Retrieved from https://owl.english.purdue.edu/owl/resource/608/05 ↵
• National Communication Association. (1999). NCA credo for ethical communication. Retrieved from http://www.natcom.org/uploadedFiles/About_NCA/Leadership_and_Governance/Public_Policy_Platform/PDF-PolicyPlatformNCA_Credo_for_Ethical_Communication.pdf ↵
• Verderber, R. F., Sellnow, D. D., & Verderber, K. S. (2012). The challenge of effective speaking (15th ed.). Boston, MA: Wadsworth Cengage Learning. ↵
• Farhi, P. (2006, November 21). ‘Seinfeld’ comic Richards apologizes for racial rant. The Washington Post. Retrieved from http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2006/ ↵
• Peace One Day. (n.d.). Introduction. Retrieved from http://www.peaceoneday.org/en/about/Introduction ↵
• Mill, J.S. (1987). Utilitarianism. In A. Ryan (Ed.), Utilitarianism and other essays (pp. 272 – 338). New York: Penguin Classics. ↵
• Moon, J. D. (1993). Theory, citizenship, and democracy. In G. E. Marcus & R. L. Hanson, Reconsidering the democratic public (pp. 211 – 222). University Park, PA: The Pennsylvania State University Press. ↵
• Image of boy with book. Authored by : cybrarian77. Located at : https://www.flickr.com/photos/cybrarian77/6284177707/in/photostream/ . License : CC BY-NC: Attribution-NonCommercial
• Chapter 3 Ethical Speaking. Authored by : Alyssa Millner and Rachel Price. Provided by : King College and University of Kentucky. Located at : http://publicspeakingproject.org/psvirtualtext.html . Project : Public Speaking Project. License : CC BY-NC-ND: Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives
• ME 109 Thief. Authored by : Nina Paley. Located at : http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:ME_109_Thief.png . License : CC BY-SA: Attribution-ShareAlike
• RainbowDhalia quilt. Authored by : Holice E. Turnbow. Located at : http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:RainbowDhalia_quilt.jpg . License : CC BY-SA: Attribution-ShareAlike
• Question copyright. Authored by : Stephan Baum and ttog. Located at : http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Question_copyright.svg . License : CC BY-SA: Attribution-ShareAlike
• Raising John T. Williams Memorial Totem Pole 300. Authored by : Joe Mabel. Located at : http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Raising_John_T._Williams_Memorial_Totem_Pole_300.jpg . License : CC BY-SA: Attribution-ShareAlike
• F-15 pilots Elmendorf. Authored by : Tech. Sgt. Keith Brown. Provided by : US Air Force. Located at : http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:F-15_pilots_Elmendorf.jpg . License : Public Domain: No Known Copyright

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Responsibility

Responsibility is important for a variety of different reasons. God has given us all gifts and talents that can be developed with time and effort. Our talents and abilities are meant to be used for good, and when we follow God’s direction, we can uphold the responsibility we have been given to use our gifts to bless the lives of others. God desires that we take care of His other children. The talents people possess may vary, but the responsibility to do good does not. With our gifts, we have a responsibility to help others and do as much good as we can.

Responsibility is a necessary part of agency, or the ability to choose. Being able to choose is a gift, something we fought for before we came to earth because we knew how valuable it would be. With each choice we make, however, comes the responsibility for the consequences we have caused. When we live the gospel the way God asks us to, we can be responsible for our actions more easily. Satan will often tempt us with the idea that we can do anything we want without any responsibility to be held accountable for our actions. Lynn G. Robbins discusses this idea further in his talk “Be 100 Percent Responsible.”

God has given us responsibilities that come with our knowledge. He trusts us with the responsibility to live the gospel and continue to improve our relationship with Him. He also asks us to share our joy and knowledge of Jesus Christ with other people. Additionally, we are responsible for taking care of those in our stewardship—for example, family members and those we serve in our callings. While responsibility can seem overwhelming, God has promised to help us with all we have to do and reassures us that He will help us when we fall.

A Noble Responsibility for Good

Divinely Appointed Responsibilities, Heavenly Blessings

A More Wonderful World

Be 100 Percent Responsible

“Go Forth to Serve”

What Is Yet Required of Me?

Building Your Bridges

Keep Wearing the Y

Saving Lives

Microwaves, Icebergs and Global Warming

The Care and Keeping of BYU’s Human Resources

Knowing, doing, and being.

BYU Spring 2005 Commencement

Just Do What Needs to Be Done

The Value of a Good Name

These Noble Pioneers

Do What Is Right

Your Good Name

Agency: a gift with responsibility.

Some Thoughts about Butterflies, Replenishment, Environmentalism, and Ownership

Where much is given: some thoughts on appreciation, accepting personal responsibility.

“Them That Love Him”

The Inconvenient Messiah

“This Is the Way; and There Is None Other Way”

Let Your Light So Shine

Going Forth to Serve

Motivations

Where Much Is Given

Your Purpose and Responsibility

Be the best of whatever you are.

Our Immediate Responsibility

Youth’s Responsibility for Purposeful and Influential Living

Each Age Carries Own Responsibility

Responsibilites of citizenship.

What Men and Women Are Tomorrow Depends upon What You Do Today

Raising the World to a Higher Plane of Morality

Want to create or adapt books like this? Learn more about how Pressbooks supports open publishing practices.

Chapter Six – Analyzing your Audience

In contemporary public speaking, the audience that you are addressing is the entire reason you are giving the speech; accordingly, the audience is therefore the most important component of all speechmaking. It cannot be said often or more forcefully enough: know your audience ! Knowing your audience—their beliefs, attitudes, age, education level, job functions, language, and culture—is the single most important aspect of developing your speech strategy and execution plan. Your audience isn’t just a passive group of people who come together by happenstance to listen to you. Your audience is assembled for a very real and significant reason: they want to hear what you have to say. So, be prepared.

Spectacular achievement is always preceded by unspectacular preparation . – Robert H. Schuller

We analyze our audience because we want to discover information that will help create a bond between the speaker and the audience. We call this bond “identification.” Aristotle loosely called it “finding a common ground.” This isn’t a one-way process between the speaker and the audience; rather, it is a two-way transactional process. When you ask an audience to listen to your ideas, you are inviting them to come partway into your personal and professional experience as a speaker. And, in return, it is your responsibility and obligation to go partway into their experience as an audience. The more you know and understand about your audience and their psychological needs, the better you can prepare your speech and your enhanced confidence will reduce your own speaker anxiety. [1]

This chapter is dedicated to understanding how a speaker connects with an audience through  audience analysis. This analysis comes through 1) the situational analysis, (2) the demographic analysis, (3) the psychological analysis, (4) the multicultural analysis, and (5) the topic interest and prior knowledge analysis. Additionally, when collecting information about an audience, this is accomplished through direct observation, analysis by inference, and data collection. [2]

Approaches to Audience Analysis

Situational analysis.

The situational audience analysis category considers the situation for which your audience is gathered. This category is primarily concerned with why your audience is assembled in the first place. [3] Are they willingly gathered to hear you speak? Have your audience members paid to hear you? Or are your audience members literally “speech captives” who have somehow been socially or systematically coerced into hearing you? These factors are decisively important because they place a major responsibility upon you as a speaker, whichever is the case. The entire tone and agenda of your speech rests largely upon whether or not your audience even wants to hear from you.

Many audiences are considered captive audiences in that they have no real choice regarding the matter of hearing a given speech. In general, these are some of the most difficult audiences to address because these members are being forced to listen to a message, and do not have the full exercise of their own free will. Consider for a moment when you have been called to a mandatory work meeting. Were you truly happy to listen to the speaker, in all honesty? Some might say “yes,” but usually most would rather be doing something else with their time. This is an important factor to keep in mind when preparing your speech: some people simply do not want to listen to a speech they believe is compulsory.

Untitled  by Konrad-Adenauer-Gemeinschaftshauptschule Wenden.  CC-BY-NC-SA .

The voluntary audience situation, in stark contrast, is completely different. A voluntary audience is willingly assembled to listen to a given message. As a rule, these audiences are much easier to address because they are interested in hearing the speech. To visualize how this works, reflect upon the last speech, concert, or show you’ve chosen to attend. While the event may or may not have lived up to your overall expectations, the very fact that you freely went to the occasion speaks volumes about your predisposition to listen to—and perhaps even be persuaded by—the information being presented.

Sometimes audiences are mixed in their situational settings, too. Take the everyday classroom situation, for instance. While students choose to attend higher education, many people in the college classroom environment sadly feel as if they are still “trapped” in school and would rather be elsewhere. On the other hand, some students in college are truly there by choice, and attentively seek out knowledge from their teacher-mentors. What results from this mixed audience situation is a hybrid captive-voluntary audience, with those who are only partially interested in what is going on in the classroom and those who are genuinely involved. You literally get to hone your speech skills on both types of audiences, thereby learning a skill set that many never get to exercise. You should begin this wonderful opportunity by considering ways to inform, persuade, and humor a mixed situation audience. Think of it as a learning occasion, and you’ll do just fine.

Demographic Analysis

The second category of audience analysis is demography, or when you consider all of the pertinent elements defining the makeup and demographic characteristics of your audience. [4]  From the Greek prefix  demo (of the people), we come to understand that there are detailed accounts of human population characteristics, such as age, gender, education, occupation, language, ethnicity, culture, background knowledge, needs and interests, and previously held attitudes, beliefs, and values. Demographics are widely used by advertising and public relations professionals to analyze specific audiences so that their products or ideas will carry influence. However, all good public speakers consider the demographic characteristics of their audience, as well. It is the fundamental stage of preparing for your speech. Table 6.1 shows some examples of demographics and how they may be used when developing your speech. Of course, this is not an all-inclusive list. But it does help you get a good general understanding of the demographics of the audience you will be addressing.

“Wiki Conference 2011”  by Sucheta Ghoshal.  CC-BY-SA .

Consider for a moment how valuable it would be to you as a public speaker to know that your audience will be mostly female, between the ages of 25 and 40, mostly married, and Caucasian. Would you change your message to fit this demographic? Or would you keep your message the same, no matter the audience you were addressing? Chances are you would be more inclined to talk to issues bearing upon those gender, age, and race qualities. Frankly, smart speakers shift their message to adapt to the audience. And, simply, that’s the purpose of doing demographics: to embed within your message the acceptable parameters of your audience’s range of needs.

This, of course, raises an extremely important ethical issue for the modern speaker. Given the ability to study demographic data and therefore to study your audience, does a speaker shift the message to play to the audience entirely? Ethically, a speaker should not shift the message and should remain true to their motives. Only you will be able to alleviate the tension between your need to adapt to an audience and the need to remain true to form. [5]

Oftentimes, you will know the demographics of your class, simply because you have been around your classmates for some time. However, when this information is not known beforehand, this information is gathered by the questionnaire sampling method, and is done formally before a speaking event. Examples of questionnaires are in the next section on data collection.

Psychological Analysis

Unless your selected speech topic is a complete mystery to your audience, your listeners will already hold “attitudes, beliefs, and values” toward the ideas you will inevitably present. As a result, it is always important to know where your audience stands on the issues you plan to address ahead of time. The best way to accomplish this is to sample your audience with a quick questionnaire or survey prior to the event. This is known as the third category of audience analysis, or  psychological description . When performing a description, you seek to identify the audience’s attitudes, beliefs, and values. [10] They are your keys to understanding how your audience thinks.

In basic terms, an  attitude  is a learned disposition to respond in a consistently favorable or unfavorable manner with respect to a person, an object, an idea, or an event. [11] Attitudes come in different forms. You are very likely to see an attitude present itself when someone says that they are “pro” or “anti” something. But, above all else, attitudes are learned and not necessarily enduring. Attitudes can change, and sometimes do, whereas beliefs and values do not shift as easily. A sample list of attitudes can be found in Table 6.2.

These are just a small range of issues that one can either be “for” or “against.” And, while we are simplifying the social scientific idea of an attitude considerably here, these examples serve our purposes well. Remember, attitudes are not as durable as beliefs and values. But, they are good indicators of how people view the persons, objects, ideas, or events that shape their world.

Beliefs are principles [12] or assumptions about the universe.

Beliefs are more durable than attitudes because beliefs are hinged to ideals and not issues. For example, you may believe in the principle: “what goes around comes around.” If you do, you believe in the notion of karma. And so, you may align your behaviors to be consistent with this belief philosophy. You do not engage in unethical or negative behavior because you believe that it will “come back” to you. Likewise, you may try to exude behaviors that are ethical and positive because you wish for this behavior to return, in kind. You may not think this at all and believe quite the opposite. Either way, there is a belief in operation driving what you think. Some examples of beliefs are located in Table 6.3.

A value, on the other hand, is a guiding belief that regulates our attitudes. [13]  Values are the core principles driving our attitudes. If you probe into someone’s attitudes and beliefs far enough, you will inevitably find an underlying value. Importantly, you should also know that we structure our values in accordance to our own value hierarchy, or mental schema of values placed in order of their relative individual importance. Each of us has our own values that we subscribe to and a value hierarchy that we use to navigate the issues of the world. But we really aren’t even aware that we have a value hierarchy until some of our values come in direct conflict with each other. Then, we have to negotiate something called  cognitive dissonance , or the mental stress caused by the choice we are forced to make between two considerable alternatives.

For example, let’s assume that you value “having fun” a great deal. You like to party with your friends and truly enjoy yourself. And, in this day and age, who doesn’t? However, now that you are experiencing a significant amount of independence and personal freedom, you have many life options at your disposal. Let’s also say that some of your close personal friends are doing drugs. You are torn. Part of you wants to experience the “fun” that your close friends may be experiencing; but, the more sane part of you wants to responsibly decline. In honesty, you are juxtaposed between two of your own values—having “fun” and being responsible. This real life example is somewhat exaggerated for your benefit. Realize that we make decisions small and grand, based on our value hierarchies. Some basic values common to people around the world can be found in Table 6.4.

Values aren’t buses… They’re not supposed to get you anywhere. They’re supposed to define who you are. – Jennifer Crusie

Multicultural Analysis

Demography looks at issues of race and ethnicity in a basic sense. However, in our increasingly diverse society, it is worthy to pay particular attention to the issue of speaking to a multicultural audience. Odds are that any real-world audience that you encounter will have an underlying multicultural dimension. As a speaker, you need to recognize that the perspective you have on any given topic may not necessarily be shared by all of the members of your audience. [14] Therefore, it is imperative that you become a culturally effective speaker. Culturally effective speakers develop the capacity to appreciate other cultures and acquire the necessary skills to speak effectively to people with diverse ethnic backgrounds. Keep these in mind when writing a speech for a diverse audience.

Many people speak different languages, so if you are translating words, do not use slang or jargon, which can be confusing. You could add a visual aid (a poster, a picture, a PowerPoint slide or two) which would show your audience what you mean – which instantly translates into the audience member’s mind . [15]

“Audience Applause at MIT meeting in Beijing”  by Philip McMaster.  CC-BY-NC .

Ethnocentricity

Remember that in many cases you will be appealing to people from other cultures. Do not assume that your culture is dominant or better than other cultures. That assumption is called ethnocentrism , and ethnocentric viewpoints have the tendency to drive a wedge between you and your audience. [16]

  Christian, Jew, Muslim, shaman, Zoroastrian, stone, ground, mountain, river, each has a secret way of being with the mystery, unique and not to be judged. – Rumi

Not only do individuals have value systems of their own, but societies promote value systems, as well. Keep in mind the fact that you will be appealing to value hierarchies that are socially-laden, as well as those that are individually-borne.

Communication Styles

While you are trying to balance these language, cognition, cultural, and value issues, you should also recognize that some cultures prefer a more animated delivery style than do others. The intelligent speaker will understand this and adapt his or her verbal and nonverbal delivery accordingly.

Interest and Knowledge Analysis

“25th March 2011”  by Grace Flora.  CC-BY-NC-ND .

Finally, if the goal of your speech is to deliver a unique and stirring presentation (and it should be), you need to know ahead of time if your audience is interested in what you have to say and has any prior knowledge about your topic. You do not want to give a boring or trite speech. Instead, you want to put your best work forward, and let your audience see your confidence and preparation shine through. Additionally, you don’t want to make a speech that your audience already knows a lot about. So, your job here is to “test” your topic by sampling your audience for their topic interest and topic knowledge. Defined, topic interest is the significance of the topic to a given audience; often related to the uniqueness of a speaker’s topic. Likewise, topic knowledge is the general amount of information that the audience possesses on a given topic. These are not mere definitions listed for the sake of argument; these are essential analytical components of effective speech construction.

Anyone who teaches me deserves my respect, honoring and attention . – Sonia Rumzi  

Unlike multicultural audience analysis, evaluating your audience’s topic interest and topic knowledge is a fairly simple task. One can do this through informal question and answer dialogue, or through an actual survey. Either way, it is best to have some information, rather than none at all. Imagine the long list of topics that people have heard over and over and over. You can probably name some yourself, right now, without giving it much thought. If you started listing some topics to yourself, please realize that this is the point of this section of this module; your audience is literally thinking the same exact thing you are. Given that, topic preparation is strategically important to your overall speech success.

Again, do not underestimate the power of asking your audience whether or not your topic actually interests them. If you find that many people are not interested in your topic, or already know a lot about it, you have just saved yourself from a potentially mind- numbing exercise. After all, do you really want to give a speech where your audience could care less about your topic—or even worse— they know more about the topic than you do yourself? Not at all! The purpose of this section is to help you search for the highly sought-after public speaking concept called  uniqueness , which is when a topic rises to the level of being singularly exceptional in interest and knowledge to a given audience.

We know that you wish to excel in giving your speech, and indeed you shall. But first, let’s make sure that your audience is engaged by your topic and hasn’t already heard the subject matter so much that they, themselves, could give the speech without much (if any) preparation.

One final note: There’s an old adage in communication studies that reasons: “know what you know; know what you don’t know; and, know the difference between the two.” In other words, don’t use puffery to blind your audience about your alleged knowledge on a particular subject. Remember, there is likely to be someone in your audience who knows as much about your topic, if not more, than you do. If you get caught trying to field an embarrassing question, you might just lose the most important thing you have as a speaker: your credibility. If you know the answer, respond accordingly. If you do not know the answer, respond accordingly. But, above all, try and be a resource for your audience. They expect you to be something of an expert on the topic you choose to address.

Given the choice between trivial material brilliantly told versus profound material badly told, an audience will always choose the trivial told brilliantly . – Robert McKee

So now you may be saying to yourself: “Gee, that’s great! How do I go about analyzing my particular audience?” First, you need to know that there are three overarching methods (or “ paradigms ”) for doing an audience analysis: audience analysis by direct observation, audience analysis by inference, and audience analysis through data collection. Once you get to know how these methods work, you should be able to select which one (or even combination of these methods) is right for your circumstances.

Nothing has such power to broaden the mind as the ability to investigate systematically and truly all that comes under thy observation in life. – Marcus Aurelius

Direct Observation

Audience analysis by direct observation, or direct experience, is, by far, the simplest of the three paradigms for “getting the feel” of a particular audience. It is a form of qualitative data gathering. We perceive it through one or more of our five natural senses—hearing, seeing, touching, tasting, and smelling. Knowledge that we acquire through personal experience has more impact on us than does knowledge that we learn indirectly. Knowledge acquired from personal experience is also more likely to affect our thinking and will be retained for a longer period of time. We are more likely to trust what we hear, see, feel, taste, and smell rather than what we learn from secondary sources of information . [17]

All you really need to do for this method of observation is to examine your audience. If you are lucky enough to be able to do this before speaking to your audience, you will be able to gather some basic reflective data (How old are they? What racial mix does this audience have? Does their non-verbal behavior indicate that they are excited to hear this speech?) that will help you arrange your thoughts and arguments for your speech. [18]

“MobileHCI 2008 Audience”  by Nhenze.  CC-BY-SA .

One excellent way to become informed about your audience is to ask them about themselves. In its most basic form, this is data collection. Whenever possible, have conversations with them — interact with members of your audience—get to know them on a personal level (Where did you go to school? Do you have siblings/pets? What kind of car do you drive?) Through these types of conversations, you will be able to get to know and appreciate each audience member as both a human being and as an audience member. You will come to understand what interests them, convinces them, or even makes them laugh. You might arouse interest and curiosity in your topic while you also gain valuable data.

For example, you want to deliver a persuasive speech about boycotting farm-raised fish. You could conduct a short attitudinal survey to discover what your audience thinks about the topic, if they eat farm-raised fish, and if they believe it is healthy for them. This information will help you when you construct your speech because you will know their attitudes about the subject. You would be able to avoid constructing a speech that potentially could do the opposite of what you intended.

Another example would be that you want to deliver an informative speech about your town’s recreational activities and facilities. Your focus can be aligned with your audience if, before you begin working on your speech, you find out if your audience has senior citizens and/or high school students and/or new parents.

Clearly this cannot be done in every speaking situation, however. Often, we are required to give an  unacquainted-audience presentation . Unacquainted-audience presentations are speeches when you are completely unfamiliar with the audience and its demographics. In these cases, it is always best to try and find some time to sit down and talk with someone you trust (or even several people) who might be familiar with the given audience. These conversations can be very constructive in helping you understand the context in which you will be speaking.

Not understanding the basic demographic characteristics of an audience, or further, that audience’s beliefs, values, or attitudes about a given topic makes your presentation goals haphazard, at best. Look around the room at the people who will be listening to your speech. What types of gender, age, ethnicity, and educational- level characteristics are represented? What are their expectations for your presentation? This is all-important information you should know before you begin your research and drafting your outline. Who is it that I am going to be talking to?

If we knew what it was we were doing, it would not be called research, would it? – Albert Einstein

Audience analysis by inference is merely a logical extension of your observations drawn in the method above. It is a form of critical thinking known as inductive reasoning, and another form of qualitative data gathering. An inference is when you make a reasoned tentative conclusion or logical judgment on the basis of available evidence. It is best used when you can identify patterns in your evidence that indicate something is expected to happen again or should hold true based upon previous experiences. A good speaker knows how to interpret information and draw conclusions from that information. As individuals we make inferences—or reasonable assumptions—all the time. For example, when we hear someone speaking Arabic, we infer that they are from the Middle East. When we see this person carrying a copy of The Koran, we infer that they are also a follower of the Muslim faith. These are reasoned conclusions that we make based upon the evidence available to us and our general knowledge about people and their traits.

When we reason, we make connections, distinctions, and predictions; we use what is known or familiar to us to reach a conclusion about something that is unknown or unfamiliar for it to make sense. Granted, of course, inferences are sometimes wrong. Here’s a familiar example: You reach into a jar full of jelly beans, and they turn out to be all black. You love black jelly beans. You reach back into the jar and take another hand full, which turn out to be, again, all black. Since you can’t see the jelly beans inside the jar you make an assumption based on empirical evidence (two handfuls of jelly beans) that all of the jelly beans are black. You reach into the jar a third time and take a hand full of jelly beans out, but this time they aren’t any black jelly beans, but white, pink, and yellow. Your conclusion that all of the jelly beans were black turned out to be fallacious.

Data Sampling

“Here’s a Jellybean for You”  by KaCey97078.  CC-BY .

Unlike audience analysis by direct observation and analysis by inference, audience analysis by data sampling uses statistical evidence to quantify and clarify the characteristics of your audience. These characteristics are also known as variable s , [19] and are assigned a numerical value so we can systematically collect and classify them. They are reported as statistics, also known as quantitative analysis or quantitative data collection. Statistics are numerical summaries of facts, figures, and research findings. Audience analysis by data sampling requires you to survey your audience before you give your speech. You need to know the basics of doing a survey before you actually collect and interpret your data.

If you make listening and observation your occupation, you will gain much more than you can by talk. – Robert Baden-Powell

Basic Questionnaire

There are a great number of survey methods available to the speaker. However, we will cover three primary question types within the basic questionnaire because they are utilized the most. The basic questionnaire is a series of questions advanced to produce demographic and attitudinal data from your audience.

“Man With a Clipboard”  by Elizabeth M.  CC-BY .

Clearly, audience members should not be required to identify themselves by name on the basic questionnaire. Anonymous questionnaires are more likely to produce truthful information. Remember, all you are looking for is a general read of your audience; you should not be looking for specific information about any respondent concerning your questionnaire in particular. It is a bulk sampling tool, only.

While you can easily gather basic demographic data (examples of demographic questions are shown in the chart following this section), we need to adjust our questions a bit more tightly, or ask more focused questions, in order to understand the audience’s “predispositions” to think or act in certain ways. For example, you can put an attitudinal extension on the basic questionnaire (examples of attitudinal questions are shown in Figure 6.1).

These questions probe more deeply into the psyche of your audience members and will help you see where they stand on certain issues. Of course, you may need to tighten these questions to get to the heart of your specific topic. But, once you do, you’ll have a wealth of data at your disposal that, ultimately, will tell you how to work with your target audience.

Likert-type Testing

The final method of ascertaining audience attitudes deals with Likert-type testing. Likert-type testing is when you make a statement and ask the respondent to gauge the depth of their sentiments toward that statement either positively, negatively, or neutrally. Typically, each scale will have 5 weighted response categories, being +2, +1, 0, -1, and -2. What the Likert-type test does, that other tests do not do, is measure the extent to which attitudes are held. See how the Likert-type test does this in the example on “unsolicited email” in Figure 6.1.

A small Likert-type test will tell you where your audience, generally speaking, stands on issues. As well, it will inform you as to the degree of the audience’s beliefs on these issues. The Likert-type test should be used when attempting to assess a highly charged or polarizing issue, because it will tell you, in rough numbers, whether or not your audience agrees or disagrees with your topic.

No matter what kind of data sampling you choose, you need to allow time to collect the information and then analyze it. For example, if you create a survey of five questions, and you have your audience of 20 people complete the survey, you will need to deal with 100 survey forms. At high levels such as political polling, the audience members quickly click on their answers on a webpage or on a hand-held “clicker,” and the specific survey software instantly collects and collates the information for researchers. If you are in a small community group or college class, it is more likely that you will be doing your survey “the old-fashioned way”–so you will need some time to mark each individual response on a “master sheet” and then average or summarize the results in an effective way to use in your speechwriting and speech-giving.

• Dwyer, K.K. (2005)  Conquer your speech anxiety:  Second Edition. Belmont, CA: Wadsworth.  ↵
• Clevenger, T. (1966).  Audience analysis . Indianapolis: Bobbs-Merrill.  ↵
• Caernarven-Smith, P. (1983).  Audience analysis & response  (1st Ed.). Pembroke, MA: Firman Technical Publications.  ↵
• McQuail, D. (1997).  Audience analysis . Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage Publications.  ↵
• Natalle, E.J. & Bodenheimer, F.R. (2004)  The woman’s public speaking handbook.  Belmont, CA: Wadsworth.  ↵
• Pearson, J.C., Nelson, P.E., Titsworth, S. & Harter, L. (2011).  Human communication  (4th Ed.). Boston: McGraw-Hill.  ↵
• Gamble, T.K. & Gamble, M. (2013).  Communication works . New York: McGrawHill.  ↵
• Eisenberg, I. & Wynn, D. (2013)  Think communication . Boston: Pearson.  ↵
• Gamble & Gamble 2013  ↵
• Campbell, K.K. & Huxman, S.S.  The Rhetorical Act: Thinking, Speaking, and Writing Critically  (3rd Ed.). Belmont, CA: Wadsworth.  ↵
• Jastrow, J. (1918). The psychology of conviction: A study of beliefs and attitudes. New York: Houghton Mifflin.  ↵
• Bem, D. J. (1970).  Beliefs, attitudes, and human affairs.  Belmont, CA: Brooks/Cole Pub. Co.  ↵
• Rokeach, M. (1968).  Beliefs, attitudes, and values; a theory of organization and change  (1st ed.). San Francisco: Jossey-Bass.  ↵
• Ting-Toomey. S & Chung, L.C. (2005).  Understanding intercultural communication.  Los Angeles: Roxbury Publishing.  ↵
• Klopf, D.W. & Cambra, R.E. (1991)  Speaking skills for prospective teachers  (2nd Ed.). Englewood, CO: Morton Publishing Company. Tauber, R.T. & Mester, C.S.  Acting Lessons for Teachers, Using Performance Skills in the Classroom.  Westport, CT: Praeger Publishers.  ↵
• Pressat, R. (1972).  Demographic analysis; methods, results, applications . Chicago: Aldine-Atherton.  ↵
• Nierenberg, G.I. & Calero, H.H. (1994)  How to read a person like a book . New York: Barnes and Noble Books.  ↵
• Tucker, K.T.; Weaver, II, R.L.; Berryman-Fink, C. (1981).  Research in speech communication . Englewood Cliffs, N.J.: Prentice-Hall.  ↵
• https://www.pexels.com/photo/man-standing-in-front-of-people-1709003/

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2 Chapter 2: Ethics

Lauren Rome, College of the Canyons

Adapted by William Kelvin, Professor of Communication Studies, Florida SouthWestern State College

Figure 2.1: Ethics 1

Introduction

The explosion of the internet and the constant presence of media have made it impossible to avoid receiving messages. We see messages when we look on social media, when we attend class, when we watch the news, and even when we talk to our friends. I’m willing to bet you haven’t once asked yourself, “are these messages ethical?” And why would you? We don’t tend to live our lives constantly asking ourselves that question. We do, however, ask ourselves if we believe and agree with the information. Both of these questions correspond to the principles of ethical public speaking. Throughout this chapter, we will examine ethics in public speaking, and how it relates to your upcoming speeches.

The Importance of Ethics

When it comes to public speaking, your goal is to communicate a message to your audience. In many cases, this could mean you are simply conveying information and sharing knowledge; other times this could mean you’re actively persuading your audience to change their minds, behaviors, or beliefs. As the person communicating the message, you are tasked with a significant ethical dilemma, whether you are aware of it or not.

In general, ethics examines what society deems as issues of morality, such as what is right, fair, or just. When looking at ethics from a personal standpoint, it guides how you “should” behave in various situations. History is ripe with great speakers who used ethical and passionate messages to make a positive impact or bring people together. Some examples include Martin Luther King Jr., Malala Yousafzai, Mohandas Gandhi, and Maya Angelou. On the other hand, there are cases of notorious speakers who used the power of public speech unethically, bringing about chaos, destruction, or heartbreak. Infamous speakers like Adolf Hitler, Benito Mussolini, Vladimir Putin, and Joseph McCarthy serve as stark reminders of the harm of unethical public speech.

Ethical Responsibilities of the Speaker

When choosing to use your voice in a public setting, you will face many ethical considerations because you are speaking to actual people, the audience. As such, you need to make careful decisions when determining your goal, your word choice, how you will accomplish your goal, and giving credit where it is due. Ultimately, ethics in public speaking is about conveying messages honestly, thoughtfully, and responsibly.

Identify Your Speech Goals

Ethics places emphasis on the means used to secure the goal, rather than on achieving the goal, or end, itself. Any audience will be more receptive to your message if you use ethical standards to determine your speech goals. Think about why you are speaking to the audience and what you hope to accomplish. This will allow you to choose the most ethical strategies for achieving your goal.

Have you ever tried asking someone for a favor? Maybe you needed your sibling or roommate to take out the trash. The goal is to get them to complete the task for you, but what method will you use to accomplish this goal? One way may be to explain how busy you are working on an outline for your upcoming speech. Another example would be to strike a deal and offer to take the trash out twice in a row. Or, you could guilt them into taking out the trash because they borrowed your computer last week. Finally, you could lie and say you feel unwell and so you are unable to take the trash out. Any method has the potential to bring about the result, but I’m sure you’re able to identify which paths feel the least ethical; no one likes to be guilted or tricked into doing something.

Send Honest Messages

Have you ever heard the saying “honesty is the best policy?” Although this is most often associated with people telling lies, it also applies to the messages you choose to send in your speeches. Ethical speakers do not deceive their audience. Instead, they present verifiable and researched facts. Ethical speakers should not disguise opinions as fact. All content must come from a place of authenticity. Authenticity builds credibility.

Credibility is a complex concept with several facets. In public speaking, credibility is often referred to as the ancient Greek word ethos , which includes your competence, based on your authority and currency on a subject, as well as your trustworthiness. It’s something that is built through your words and actions. Credibility can become damaged when it is revealed you have either lied or even just slightly bent the truth in your speeches.

Once lost or damaged, credibility is nearly impossible to recover or repair, both during a speech and in life. Build it and treasure it. History is full of examples of people’s credibility eroding seemingly overnight. One recent example is George Santos, a young man who was elected to Congress based on narratives later determined to be mostly false . Many people who voted for Santos felt duped by his fabrications and some within his own party called for his resignation.

Choose Language Carefully

It might be obvious you’re going to use words to communicate messages. Less obvious, is the significance these words hold for your diverse audience who are the focus of your speech. Oftentimes, the speaker thinks of themselves in speechmaking, however, you should be focused on the audience at all times.

Speaking ethically involves striving to use inclusive language, aimed at making all listeners feel represented in the language of the speech. At a minimum, inclusive language avoids the use of words that may exclude or disrespect particular groups of people. For example, avoiding gender-specific terms like “man” or “mankind.” Inclusive language also avoids statements that express or imply ideas that are sexist, racist, otherwise biased, prejudiced, or denigrating to any particular group of people. Even if the speaker means well, certain terms, especially around attributes of identity, can be interpreted as offensive, hurtful, outdated, or inappropriate.

A simple strategy to make people feel included in your speech is to use the plural pronouns “we” and “us” instead of the singular pronouns “I” and “me.” When you linguistically separate your audience from yourself, you create a divide, but when you use words to show your connection, you come together. Imagine the difference in audience reception to “Today I will tell you…” versus “Today we will cover….” This situation can be exacerbated when audience members have some knowledge on the topic. If you treat your audience as complete novices, any members experienced in your topic may feel offended.

Avoid Plagiarism

When we speak ethically, we use our own original speech content. That doesn’t mean you have to come up with the facts and evidence on your own. Just as with any other research project, you must give appropriate credit for the sources used. A good rule of thumb is, “If you didn’t write it, cite it!” Be sure to read closely the Citing Your Sources Correctly section in Ch. 7, Gathering Materials & Supporting Your Ideas. When you cite your sources, you avoid plagiarism , which is passing off other people’s work as your own. Plagiarism can have serious consequences, like failing an assignment, failing a course, or even being kicked out of the educational institution. This occurs in two ways: intentional plagiarism and unintentional plagiarism.

Figure 2.2: Bush Aide Resigns Over Plagiarism 2

Intentional plagiarism is when a speaker purposefully uses content that is not their own. The most egregious example is when someone steals an entire speech or paper and just slaps on their name. Some other instances of intentional plagiarism include: when someone fabricates sources or quotes; strategically changes a few words from a source without citing it (proper paraphrasing requires more than just changing a few words from the original source); or purposefully adds sources to their references that they didn’t use.

Something that happens more commonly is unintentional plagiarism , which occurs inadvertently. Think about what we mentioned at the beginning of the chapter, with how we are constantly taking in messages. Watching a documentary on Netflix does not make you an expert. Although it may be a great place to start building your knowledge, it doesn’t mean it is your intellectual property. That information still came from a source (the documentary), and you’ll need to cite it. Unintentional plagiarism can also occur if we use the same paper for two different classes, quote a source incorrectly, or fail to properly introduce an idea we’ve learned from someone else.

It doesn’t matter whether you meant to be intentional or unintentional, plagiarism is still unethical and can have serious consequences. There are many examples, such as a U.S. professor stepping down from a lucrative vice-chancellor position for plagiarizing passages of a grant application. A political appointee in Germany was compelled to resign from her prestigious post as minister of education and research 40 years after publishing a doctoral dissertation containing many passages with insufficient citation.

To avoid plagiarism, spend time conducting quality research and keep careful notes. Use quote marks to indicate material that is copied verbatim in your own notes so that you avoid passing the material along as paraphrased when it is not. Don’t forget to orally cite your sources in the delivery of your speech at the moment you utilize them. Also, every source cited in your References should be cited in the text of your outline at the places where you use the information. Oral citations during the speech and in-text citations in the outline are both important to avoiding any charges of academic misbehavior.

Be Prepared to Speak

Speech preparation entails picking and researching a topic, analyzing your audience, organizing your main points, creating visual aids, and practicing your delivery. You prepare so that your speech can have the greatest impact. As a speaker, it is your responsibility to consider the impact of your speech and to ensure you are communicating truthful, accurate, and appropriate information. From an ethical standpoint, preparation is crucial to ensure you are thoroughly informed about your topic and allows you to convey a sense of credibility to your audience.

When you are unprepared, you will be embarrassed and your audience will feel that you are wasting their time. Also, plagiarism is often a consequence of procrastination. Preparing well before deadline means you won’t be tempted to recite others words or ideas without proper attribution.

Ethical Responsibilities of the Listener

As you’ve seen throughout this chapter, careful consideration is taken by the speaker to craft a thoughtful and developed speech for their audience. In return, the audience should also behave ethically. When thinking about these responsibilities, identify the expectations you have for an audience when you’re speaking. Do you want them to listen with an open mind? Pay attention to you? Demonstrate respect? Of course, you do, but let’s be honest for a second…do you always listen to messages that way? It is really easy to say we are listening ethically, but this can be harder to apply when we are distracted or unprepared for listening. If this sounds like you, there are several strategies covered in chapter 4.

Figure 2.3: Ethics Committee 3

Be Prepared to Listen

When you find yourself seated in an audience about to listen to a speaker, how do you prepare? Do you tell yourself that you will be actively listening to the speaker for a certain number of minutes? Do you remind yourself to listen with an open mind? Or, do you sit there on your phone, mindlessly scrolling social media? Only one of these examples is common practice, but the others can make a huge difference in how much you take away from a speech. By telling yourself you are committed to listening to the speaker, you won’t be inclined to give in to distractions, or let your mind wander.

Avoid Prejudging and Keep an Open Mind

Unless you are watching a recorded video of a speech, you will never see or hear the same speech twice. Take it from us public speaking teachers who have heard the same speech topic countless times. Even if you think you know what the speaker is going to say, or you think you know more about a topic than the speaker, you can always learn something new. If you spend any time thinking about anything other than listening, you are bound to miss valuable information that will make you an ill-informed listener.

Be Courteous and Pay Attention

It’s simple: treat others how you would like to be treated. Who do you want to see when you are speaking to an audience? Be that person. Pay attention to your body language when sitting in an audience. What do you consider ethical body language?

Information communication technologies (ICTs) such as cell phones and laptops have made it difficult for people to focus and easy for them to be distracted. Silence your cell phones before every class . Keep your phone put away unless you absolutely need it. Likewise, do not have a laptop open during your peers’ performances. Chances are, you’re not taking notes. Looking at screens during speeches is disrespectful. Mastering the art of being in the moment can separate you from your peers in business, politics, and even personal relationships. This lesson will apply beyond the classroom. No matter your future social environments, listening attentively to others will improve your social standing, while allowing yourself to be seduced by screens will make others think you do not value their contributions.

If a speech is not capturing your attention, ask yourself what could have been done better, perhaps jotting down a few notes (paper notes will not make you look inattentive the way a screen will, even if you’re using it for a good reason) to share constructive feedback with your peers later. Even if you do not share the notes, imagining ways to spice up someone else’s speech will make you a better writer and speaker.

Providing Feedback

Public speaking instructors often ask students to provide their classmates with feedback on their speeches. Of course, you have to be paying attention if you are going to ethically provide feedback. Saying “Great job!” or “You did great” is not ethical feedback. Providing feedback to your classmates means that you are supplying them with useful comments about things they did well and/or things they could make stronger in future speeches.

Tasha Souza, a professor at Boise State University who researches classroom practices, taught one of your authors a simple approach to feedback—”gems and opportunities.” Gems are things the speaker did well. Opportunities identify areas for potential improvement. We all love to hear praise, which is good for our self-esteem, but we can’t advance without people letting us know about weaker aspects of our performance. For this reason, the most ethical feedback always helps us feel good, but also helps us move forward. No speech is without merit—we can all find gems in any performance (even our own, as painful as they may be to watch when recorded!). And, no speech is perfect—ask your instructors, most rarely give 100% scores on speeches. So, even when your classmates perform great, you should be able to find more opportunities for them to improve. The highest performers will be eager for such feedback.

Avoid Distractions

Taking care of your body is an important part of being a good listener. Get a good night’s sleep before speech days—even others’ speech days. If you are dozing during someone’s speech, they may think you find them boring, decreasing their self-confidence, or worse, they may be distracted by your fitful motions and lose their concentration. Likewise, make sure you are not starving when class starts. if your belly is rumbling, you cannot focus, and if others hear it, it could distract them, too!

At the end of this chapter, we hope you see the importance of ethics as it pertains to public speaking. Ethics impacts the speaker and the audience, alike. Being honest, thoughtful, respectful, and prepared are the key ingredients to being an ethical public speaker. It is up to you to build your credibility and be a strong speaker. It may not be easy to be ethical, but it is right .

Reflection Questions

• What speakers have you heard speak that you felt were particularly ethical in their speech and why would you say their performance was ethically sound?
• Give an example of a public speaker behaving unethically. What behaviors in your example are problematic and why do you consider them unethical?
• Have you ever questioned the credibility of a speaker? What did they say that made you question their credibility? Did you question their competence, ethics, or both, and why?
• What do you know about plagiarism now that you didn’t know before? If you did not learn anything new, which aspects of plagiarism do you think novice speakers should be most cautious about?
• Which aspects of being an ethical listener do you hope to achieve in this class?

Credibility

Inclusive language

Intentional Plagiarism

Unintentional Plagiarism

Introduction to Public Speaking Copyright © by Jamie C. Votraw, M.A.; Katharine O'Connor, Ph.D.; and William F. Kelvin, Ph.D.. All Rights Reserved.

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The Power and Responsibility of Free Speech

American University students have never been afraid to speak their minds on controversial topics. And some of the most robust debates in School of Public Affairs (SPA) professor Lara Schwartz’s classes have come from discussions about free speech and social issues.

"Some of the richest, most energized conversations in my classes were taking place when we started talking about college itself, and how professors and students discuss political identity, political expression, personal expression, racism, transphobia, and religious belief,” she said. “ As a result, I taught a course entirely around the idea of speech on campus."

Taking note of the challenges posed by those discussions, SPA launched the Project on Civil Discourse (PCD) to help students learn to respectfully balance competing ideas in an increasingly polarized society. Led by Schwartz, PCD encourages and supports students in understanding speech not only as a matter of rights, but of responsibilities, values, and opportunities. 

Since it began in 2018, PCD has embraced an ambitious agenda—creating curricula to promote civil discourse, hosting speakers with diverse perspectives, and publishing a newsletter and a blog. Its signature initiative revolves around Peer Facilitators, undergraduates trained to guide discussions on challenging topics. The students learn to navigate differences, diffuse tension, and listen for productive conversational threads. Then, they apply their training in real-life discussion scenarios. Peer Facilitator cohorts, comprising approximately 15 students a year, have a rigorous focus on equity and diversity to ensure that all points of view are heard.

"Students learn to separate people from problems and encourage their peers to move from positions to interests to find common ground," says Schwartz. "Instead of getting into a debate, we presume that the students are collaboratively solving a problem together." One popular discussion topic: What is patriotism? "We use the issue of 'taking a knee' as a launching point, and it results in very engaged conversations."

Another transformative project, Building My Voice, produced a workbook that helps students identify their goals, values, and challenges in speaking and listening. Its goal is to empower students to become the "architects" of their own voices.

Schwartz looks forward to PCD growing to play a larger role in fostering civil discourse at AU and beyond. She hopes to use expand the speaker’s program, create on-demand video resources, and develop additional course offerings for a certificate program in Dialogue Across Discourse. 

"Having a balance of voices—particularly diverse voices—is a public service that needs to happen here," she says. 

Through the Change Can’t Wait campaign, donors can promote dialogue and values fundamental to civic agency.  

Learn more about PCD .

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112 Persuasive Speech Topics That Are Actually Engaging

What’s covered:, how to pick an awesome persuasive speech topic, 112 engaging persuasive speech topics, tips for preparing your persuasive speech.

Writing a stellar persuasive speech requires a carefully crafted argument that will resonate with your audience to sway them to your side. This feat can be challenging to accomplish, but an engaging, thought-provoking speech topic is an excellent place to start.

When it comes time to select a topic for your persuasive speech, you may feel overwhelmed by all the options to choose from—or your brain may be drawing a completely blank slate. If you’re having trouble thinking of the perfect topic, don’t worry. We’re here to help!

In this post, we’re sharing how to choose the perfect persuasive speech topic and tips to prepare for your speech. Plus, you’ll find 112 persuasive speech topics that you can take directly from us or use as creative inspiration for your own ideas!

Choose Something You’re Passionate About

It’s much easier to write, research, and deliver a speech about a cause you care about. Even if it’s challenging to find a topic that completely sparks your interest, try to choose a topic that aligns with your passions.

However, keep in mind that not everyone has the same interests as you. Try to choose a general topic to grab the attention of the majority of your audience, but one that’s specific enough to keep them engaged.

For example, suppose you’re giving a persuasive speech about book censorship. In that case, it’s probably too niche to talk about why “To Kill a Mockingbird” shouldn’t be censored (even if it’s your favorite book), and it’s too broad to talk about media censorship in general.

Steer Clear of Cliches

Have you already heard a persuasive speech topic presented dozens of times? If so, it’s probably not an excellent choice for your speech—even if it’s an issue you’re incredibly passionate about.

Although polarizing topics like abortion and climate control are important to discuss, they aren’t great persuasive speech topics. Most people have already formed an opinion on these topics, which will either cause them to tune out or have a negative impression of your speech.

Instead, choose topics that are fresh, unique, and new. If your audience has never heard your idea presented before, they will be more open to your argument and engaged in your speech.

Have a Clear Side of Opposition

For a persuasive speech to be engaging, there must be a clear side of opposition. To help determine the arguability of your topic, ask yourself: “If I presented my viewpoint on this topic to a group of peers, would someone disagree with me?” If the answer is yes, then you’ve chosen a great topic!

Now that we’ve laid the groundwork for what it takes to choose a great persuasive speech topic, here are over one hundred options for you to choose from.

• Should high school athletes get tested for steroids?
• Should schools be required to have physical education courses?
• Should sports grades in school depend on things like athletic ability?
• What sport should be added to or removed from the Olympics?
• Should college athletes be able to make money off of their merchandise?
• Should sports teams be able to recruit young athletes without a college degree?
• Should we consider video gamers as professional athletes?
• Is cheerleading considered a sport?
• Should parents allow their kids to play contact sports?
• Should professional female athletes be paid the same as professional male athletes?
• Should college be free at the undergraduate level?
• Is the traditional college experience obsolete?
• Should you choose a major based on your interests or your potential salary?
• Should high school students have to meet a required number of service hours before graduating?
• Should teachers earn more or less based on how their students perform on standardized tests?
• Are private high schools more effective than public high schools?
• Should there be a minimum number of attendance days required to graduate?
• Are GPAs harmful or helpful?
• Should schools be required to teach about standardized testing?
• Should Greek Life be banned in the United States?
• Should schools offer science classes explicitly about mental health?
• Should students be able to bring their cell phones to school?
• Should all public restrooms be all-gender?
• Should undocumented immigrants have the same employment and education opportunities as citizens?
• Should everyone be paid a living wage regardless of their employment status?
• Should supremacist groups be able to hold public events?
• Should guns be allowed in public places?
• Should the national drinking age be lowered?
• Should prisoners be allowed to vote?
• Should the government raise or lower the retirement age?
• Should the government be able to control the population?
• Is the death penalty ethical?

Environment

• Should stores charge customers for plastic bags?
• Should breeding animals (dogs, cats, etc.) be illegal?
• Is it okay to have exotic animals as pets?
• Should people be fined for not recycling?
• Should compost bins become mandatory for restaurants?
• Should electric vehicles have their own transportation infrastructure?
• Would heavier fining policies reduce corporations’ emissions?
• Should hunting be encouraged or illegal?
• Should reusable diapers replace disposable diapers?

Science & Technology

• Is paper media more reliable than digital news sources?
• Should automated/self-driving cars be legalized?
• Should schools be required to provide laptops to all students?
• Should software companies be able to have pre-downloaded programs and applications on devices?
• Should drones be allowed in military warfare?
• Should scientists invest more or less money into cancer research?
• Should cloning be illegal?
• Should societies colonize other planets?
• Should there be legal oversight over the development of technology?

Social Media

• Should there be an age limit on social media?
• Should cyberbullying have the same repercussions as in-person bullying?
• Are online relationships as valuable as in-person relationships?
• Does “cancel culture” have a positive or negative impact on societies?
• Are social media platforms reliable information or news sources?
• Should social media be censored?
• Does social media create an unrealistic standard of beauty?
• Is regular social media usage damaging to real-life interactions?
• Is social media distorting democracy?
• How many branches of government should there be?
• Who is the best/worst president of all time?
• How long should judges serve in the U.S. Supreme Court?
• Should a more significant portion of the U.S. budget be contributed towards education?
• Should the government invest in rapid transcontinental transportation infrastructure?
• Should airport screening be more or less stringent?
• Should the electoral college be dismantled?
• Should the U.S. have open borders?
• Should the government spend more or less money on space exploration?
• Should students sing Christmas carols, say the pledge of allegiance, or perform other tangentially religious activities?
• Should nuns and priests become genderless roles?
• Should schools and other public buildings have prayer rooms?
• Should animal sacrifice be legal if it occurs in a religious context?
• Should countries be allowed to impose a national religion on their citizens?
• Should the church be separated from the state?
• Does freedom of religion positively or negatively affect societies?

Parenting & Family

• Is it better to have children at a younger or older age?
• Is it better for children to go to daycare or stay home with their parents?
• Does birth order affect personality?
• Should parents or the school system teach their kids about sex?
• Are family traditions important?
• Should parents smoke or drink around young children?
• Should “spanking” children be illegal?
• Should parents use swear words in front of their children?
• Should parents allow their children to play violent video games?

Entertainment

• Should all actors be paid the same regardless of gender or ethnicity?
• Should all award shows be based on popular vote?
• Who should be responsible for paying taxes on prize money, the game show staff or the contestants?
• Should movies and television shows have ethnicity and gender quotas?
• Should newspapers and magazines move to a completely online format?
• Should streaming services like Netflix and Hulu be free for students?
• Is the movie rating system still effective?
• Should celebrities have more privacy rights?

Arts & Humanities

• Are libraries becoming obsolete?
• Should all schools have mandatory art or music courses in their curriculum?
• Should offensive language be censored from classic literary works?
• Is it ethical for museums to keep indigenous artifacts?
• Should digital designs be considered an art form? 
• Should abstract art be considered an art form?
• Is music therapy effective?
• Should tattoos be regarded as “professional dress” for work?
• Should schools place greater emphasis on the arts programs?
• Should euthanasia be allowed in hospitals and other clinical settings?
• Should the government support and implement universal healthcare?
• Would obesity rates lower if the government intervened to make healthy foods more affordable?
• Should teenagers be given access to birth control pills without parental consent?
• Should food allergies be considered a disease?
• Should health insurance cover homeopathic medicine?
• Is using painkillers healthy?
• Should genetically modified foods be banned?
• Should there be a tax on unhealthy foods?
• Should tobacco products be banned from the country?
• Should the birth control pill be free for everyone?

If you need more help brainstorming topics, especially those that are personalized to your interests, you can  use CollegeVine’s free AI tutor, Ivy . Ivy can help you come up with original persuasive speech ideas, and she can also help with the rest of your homework, from math to languages.

Do Your Research

A great persuasive speech is supported with plenty of well-researched facts and evidence. So before you begin the writing process, research both sides of the topic you’re presenting in-depth to gain a well-rounded perspective of the topic.

Understand Your Audience

It’s critical to understand your audience to deliver a great persuasive speech. After all, you are trying to convince them that your viewpoint is correct. Before writing your speech, consider the facts and information that your audience may already know, and think about the beliefs and concerns they may have about your topic. Then, address these concerns in your speech, and be mindful to include fresh, new information.

Have Someone Read Your Speech

Once you have finished writing your speech, have someone read it to check for areas of strength and improvement. You can use CollegeVine’s free essay review tool to get feedback on your speech from a peer!

Practice Makes Perfect

After completing your final draft, the key to success is to practice. Present your speech out loud in front of a mirror, your family, friends, and basically, anyone who will listen. Not only will the feedback of others help you to make your speech better, but you’ll become more confident in your presentation skills and may even be able to commit your speech to memory.

Hopefully, these ideas have inspired you to write a powerful, unique persuasive speech. With the perfect topic, plenty of practice, and a boost of self-confidence, we know you’ll impress your audience with a remarkable speech!

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2 Minute Speech On Responsibility In English

Good morning to everyone in this room. I would like to thank the principal, the teachers, and my dear friends for allowing me to speak to you today about responsibility. As the internet has grown, individuals have become more likely to disregard their responsibilities. Due to the lack of self-control and other effects, this may have a detrimental effect on their lives.

Try taking action that is important for you and your family if you wish to stop this. For instance, start with simple activities like walking or bicycling instead of driving everywhere if you want to get in shape again. You should also take a break from social media platforms since how much time you spend using them everyday matters just as much as what you post online.

Many people claim that they don’t have any responsibilities. They believe that they are deserving of anything and everything and don’t need to contribute in any way. This is the incorrect course of action, therefore avoid using it. You should carry out your responsibilities by doing what is required of you if you wish to succeed in life.

You may develop relationships with people and live a happy life with its assistance. It is up to us to carry out our moral responsibilities. Being a parent is an excellent example of carrying out your responsibilities. It is your duty as a parent to provide your kids with all they need and to see to their well-being. Thank you. 

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Speech on Responsibility

One of the first things that we all learn early on is the importance of responsibility and why it is critical to our society. This need for responsibility should subsume every other need including personal likes and desires. But sadly, so many of us prefer to shelve responsibility on a high shelf with resulting consequences.  For example, if you had a pet that you were in charge of feeding on a daily basis and then you headed out on a trip and forgot all about your pet, can you imagine how the rest of the story would play out?

One thing is for sure, you can bet your last dollar that no one would ever ask you again to house-sit any pet for them. The point is that we are hardwired to value and give importance to responsibility; moreover, we subconsciously gravitate towards responsible people, people who always deliver on their promises on time, and the sort that you can depend on to come to your aid when facing a crisis. What does this mean? That responsibility as a trait, is something that is attractive to us on a whole new level? Or maybe it is all about our personality?

Whether it is a personality trait or not, and incidentally it can be, responsibility can help you seem more attractive towards others. It partly has to do with our genetic memory where we often gravitated towards the stronger member of our clan so that he can better protect us. Times have changed and so has our formula for what makes a person ‘strong’. Today, we often see responsible people as strong and granted that most of this is based on common perceptions, but to a large extent, most of us view “responsibility” as a strong trait.

And it is this inherent belief that we may prosper better with responsible people that often drives us to seek their company out in the first place. But here’s the weird part; during our teen years, we often have this tendency to look down on ‘responsible’ people as part of the establishment and often prefer to associate ourselves with people who are far removed from the very notion of responsibility. The ague in the mix is none other than a case of hormonal imbalance which is more common during teenage years than at any other stage of your life.

But that aside, is it possible for us to all become responsible at some point or another? The fact remains that we all grow up, and in due course, become responsible for ourselves. It is this innate ability to adapt that helps us to become responsible and better adults. Granted there are a few adults who seem to be permanently stuck in the default teenage mode, but generally speaking, we all have to grow up and in the process, attain the responsibility. If you have children you may want to monitor their behavior and see if they exhibit any traces of responsibility early on which is a good sign indeed.

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75 Persuasive Speech Topics and Ideas

October 4, 2018 - Gini Beqiri

To write a captivating and persuasive speech you must first decide on a topic that will engage, inform and also persuade the audience. We have discussed how to choose a topic and we have provided a list of speech ideas covering a wide range of categories.

What is persuasive speech?

The aim of a persuasive speech is to inform, educate and convince or motivate an audience to do something. You are essentially trying to sway the audience to adopt your own viewpoint.

The best persuasive speech topics are thought-provoking, daring and have a clear opinion. You should speak about something you are knowledgeable about and can argue your opinion for, as well as objectively discuss counter-arguments.

How to choose a topic for your speech

It’s not easy picking a topic for your speech as there are many options so consider the following factors when deciding.

Familiarity

Topics that you’re familiar with will make it easier to prepare for the speech.

It’s best if you decide on a topic in which you have a genuine interest in because you’ll be doing lots of research on it and if it’s something you enjoy the process will be significantly easier and more enjoyable. The audience will also see this enthusiasm when you’re presenting which will make the speech more persuasive.

The audience’s interest

The audience must care about the topic. You don’t want to lose their attention so choose something you think they’ll be interested in hearing about.

Consider choosing a topic that allows you to be more descriptive because this allows the audience to visualize which consequently helps persuade them.

Not overdone

When people have heard about a topic repeatedly they’re less likely to listen to you as it doesn’t interest them anymore. Avoid cliché or overdone topics as it’s difficult to maintain your audience’s attention because they feel like they’ve heard it all before.

An exception to this would be if you had new viewpoints or new facts to share. If this is the case then ensure you clarify early in your speech that you have unique views or information on the topic.

Emotional topics

Emotions are motivators so the audience is more likely to be persuaded and act on your requests if you present an emotional topic.

People like hearing about issues that affect them or their community, country etc. They find these topics more relatable which means they find them more interesting. Look at local issues and news to discover these topics.

Desired outcome

What do you want your audience to do as a result of your speech? Use this as a guide to choosing your topic, for example, maybe you want people to recycle more so you present a speech on the effect of microplastics in the ocean.

Persuasive speech topics

Lots of timely persuasive topics can be found using social media, the radio, TV and newspapers. We have compiled a list of 75 persuasive speech topic ideas covering a wide range of categories.

Some of the topics also fall into other categories and we have posed the topics as questions so they can be easily adapted into statements to suit your own viewpoint.

• Should pets be adopted rather than bought from a breeder?
• Should wild animals be tamed?
• Should people be allowed to own exotic animals like monkeys?
• Should all zoos and aquariums be closed?

Arts/Culture

• Should art and music therapy be covered by health insurance?
• Should graffiti be considered art?
• Should all students be required to learn an instrument in school?
• Should automobile drivers be required to take a test every three years?
• Are sports cars dangerous?
• Should bicycles share the roads with cars?
• Should bicycle riders be required by law to always wear helmets?

Business and economy

• Do introverts make great leaders?
• Does owning a business leave you feeling isolated?
• What is to blame for the rise in energy prices?
• Does hiring cheaper foreign employees hurt the economy?
• Should interns be paid for their work?
• Should employees receive bonuses for walking or biking to work?
• Should tipping in restaurants be mandatory?
• Should boys and girls should be taught in separate classrooms?
• Should schools include meditation breaks during the day?
• Should students be allowed to have their mobile phones with them during school?
• Should teachers have to pass a test every decade to renew their certifications?
• Should online teaching be given equal importance as the regular form of teaching?
• Is higher education over-rated?
• What are the best ways to stop bullying?
• Should people with more than one DUI lose their drivers’ licenses?
• Should prostitution be legalised?
• Should guns be illegal in the US?
• Should cannabis be legalised for medical reasons?
• Is equality a myth?
• Does what is “right” and “wrong” change from generation to generation?
• Is there never a good enough reason to declare war?
• Should governments tax sugary drinks and use the revenue for public health?
• Has cosmetic surgery risen to a level that exceeds good sense?
• Is the fast-food industry legally accountable for obesity?
• Should school cafeterias only offer healthy food options?
• Is acupuncture a valid medical technique?
• Should assisted suicide be legal?
• Does consuming meat affect health?
• Is dieting a good way to lose weight?

Law and politics

• Should voting be made compulsory?
• Should the President (or similar position) be allowed to serve more than two terms?
• Would poverty reduce by fixing housing?
• Should drug addicts be sent for treatment in hospitals instead of prisons?
• Would it be fair for the government to detain suspected terrorists without proper trial?
• Is torture acceptable when used for national security?
• Should celebrities who break the law receive stiffer penalties?
• Should the government completely ban all cigarettes and tobacco products
• Is it wrong for the media to promote a certain beauty standard?
• Is the media responsible for the moral degradation of teenagers?
• Should advertising be aimed at children?
• Has freedom of press gone too far?
• Should prayer be allowed in public schools?
• Does religion have a place in government?
• How do cults differ from religion?

Science and the environment

• Should recycling be mandatory?
• Should genetically modified foods be sold in supermarkets?
• Should parents be allowed to choose the sex of their unborn children?
• Should selling plastic bags be completely banned in shops?
• Should smoking in public places be banned?
• Should professional female athletes be paid the same as male athletes in the same sport?
• Should doping be allowed in professional sports?
• Should schools be required to teach all students how to swim?
• How does parental pressure affect young athletes?
• Will technology reduce or increase human employment opportunities?
• What age should children be allowed to have mobile phones?
• Should libraries be replaced with unlimited access to e-books?
• Should we recognize Bitcoin as a legal currency?
• Should bloggers and vloggers be treated as journalists and punished for indiscretions?
• Has technology helped connect people or isolate them?
• Should mobile phone use in public places be regulated?
• Do violent video games make people more violent?

World peace

• What is the safest country in the world?
• Is planetary nuclear disarmament possible?
• Is the idea of peace on earth naive?

These topics are just suggestions so you need to assess whether they would be suitable for your particular audience. You can easily adapt the topics to suit your interests and audience, for example, you could substitute “meat” in the topic “Does consuming meat affect health?” for many possibilities, such as “processed foods”, “mainly vegan food”, “dairy” and so on.

After choosing your topic

After you’ve chosen your topic it’s important to do the following:

• Research thoroughly
• Think about all of the different viewpoints
• Tailor to your audience – discussing your topic with others is a helpful way to gain an understanding of your audience.
• How involved are you with this topic – are you a key character?
• Have you contributed to this area, perhaps through blogs, books, papers and products.
• How qualified are you to speak on this topic?
• Do you have personal experience in it? How many years?
• How long have you been interested in the area?

While it may be difficult to choose from such a variety of persuasive speech topics, think about which of the above you have the most knowledge of and can argue your opinion on.

For advice about how to deliver your persuasive speech, check out our blog  Persuasive Speech Outline and Ideas .

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• Speech on Save Environment

Save Environment Speech For Students

Speech on Save Environment is an important topic for students. Students can avail a well-written speech on the topic ‘save environment speech’ and learn how to write the speech that will impress the audience.

Long Speech

Good morning to one and all present here. I am glad to be given the opportunity to present a speech on Save Environment. Our environment is where we live. There must be harmony between the environment and living beings. In the present scenario, due to overpopulation, the environment is under distress. The situation is alarming as our natural environment is overexploited to meet human needs. It is because of many human activities that we are not able to maintain a healthy balance with nature.

The threat we are facing includes manmade disasters and global warming. These threats are real and have raised an alarming situation. We need to come together to save our environment. This speech on saving nature throws light on why it is needed by mankind to protect and preserve the environment. Our environment offers everything from clothing, water, food to shelter. All living beings are a part of the ecosystem. Hence, it becomes our responsibility to take care of the natural habitat.

Environmental pollution is one of the biggest issues that the modern world faces today. To meet the wants of society, we are putting too much pressure on the natural environment. This leads to damage to nature. The soil is losing its fertility, and in most places, soil pollution makes it difficult to grow crops. Even air and water pollution is the effect of mass urbanization and industrialisation. Controlling the pollution is a need of the hour, however, this still gets neglected by us. I am delivering the speech to save the earth to make you aware of what can be done by each one of us sitting here. We can make our earth a better place to live by taking simple steps like planting a tree, throwing waste in proper bins, saying no to plastic bags, etc. Rather than complaining about pollution, such small steps must be taken to make our environment sustainable.

Environmental problems are also the result of vast technological advancements in the last few years. The overuse of resources to build IT infrastructure is responsible for the loss of the natural environment. Government and international organizations must take proper steps to control pollution and save our mother earth. Environmental protection policies must be strictly enforced. Everyone has to come together to save our mother nature. 

Saving our environment is much more important today than ever before. The degrading quality of earth life is what we all are familiar with. However, the early signs of the upcoming destruction are visible. The harsh weather conditions, increased carbon dioxide emissions, melting of glaciers, etc. are the major concerns that needed immediate attention. Let us all do what we can to save our environment and preserve our resources for future generations.

Short Speech

Good morning to all. Today, I am going to give a short speech on saving the environment. We are all aware of how the environment is important to us. We cannot afford to harm the environment any longer. In today’s modern world, our planet earth is affected significantly. However, if we want to live in harmony with nature, we cannot put the entire pressure on the environment. Living beings, for their survival, depend completely on the natural and manmade environment. It is impossible to live without the resources that the atmosphere provides. In such a situation, it becomes critical to save mother nature from getting over-exploited due to the increasing population. 

We all know that factors like overpopulation, deforestation, etc. are responsible for environmental destruction. Small steps taken by us can go a long way. We must try to use as much public transport as possible to protect the air we breathe. We must throw garbage in the right bins so that proper disposal of waste and waste management can be done. We need to make efforts in the right direction to conserve our natural resources and habitat. Some of the ways by which we can achieve this are to use renewable energy, avoid plastic bags, plant more trees etc. 

Mother nature offers so much to us. We must protect the environment and nature and be a part of sustainable development programmes.

10 Lines Speech

A heartfelt welcome to each one present here. I am here to deliver a speech on saving the environment and saving a life. It is no hidden fact that our environment is affected largely due to human activities. It is facing a threat at an alarming rate. We have over-exploited nature due to our greed. This has caused a natural imbalance. However, we can still do something and protect our environment from all the damages. We must plant more and more trees, throw garbage in the dustbins, avoid using plastic bags, etc. It cannot be denied that our natural environment is such an important part of our ecosystem. It is important to educate people about how the environment is getting damaged. Then only we can have green earth to live in.

Main Causes of Environmental Degradation

Pollution, in any form, is destructive to the environment, whether it be in the form of air, water, land, or noise.

Rapid population increase limits natural resources, resulting in environmental degradation.

Increasing population equals more need for food, clothing, and housing. More land is needed to grow food and provide housing for people. Deforestation occurs, as a result, contributing to environmental degradation.

Deforestation is also caused by using forest areas for agriculture, livestock grazing, fuelwood harvesting, and logging. When forest size decreases, deforestation contributes to global warming by releasing carbon into the atmosphere.

The exhaust gas released by industries is one of the primary sources of pollution. Lead is found in large concentrations in the environment due to a range of substances such as gasoline, paints, ceramics, and batteries.

In recent years, there has been a massive increase in the number of private vehicles. The higher the number of cars, the higher the rate of pollution that causes smog. Lower-level ozone, which is detrimental, is caused by hydrocarbons emitted by engines.

Speech on plant trees, saving mother earth is important for students as it will make them aware of how to use natural resources and how a healthy balance can be maintained between the environment and human life.

FAQs on Speech on Save Environment

1. What is the best way to prepare a speech?

Giving a speech in class pushes students to step outside of their comfort zone, especially if they are required to take a stand on a social issue. Students gain courage, conviction, and fluency when they learn to face their insecurities and reply articulately to opposition with practice. The following tips will help students in delivering a great speech:

The size of the audience is one of the most primary considerations when giving a speech. High school students should consider the audience and the context for the speech before digging into stacks of research resources.

Students should slim down their attention and write a clear thesis statement that will act as a road map for the rest of the presentation. The speakers should then choose two or three major topics that they can address in the time allocated.

Decide the basic goal of your speech or presentation if you're informing, presenting, or entertaining.

When practising, keep track of your time from beginning to end and read the complete speech numerous times.

It can be beneficial to incorporate hand gestures to explain points in your speech. Hand gestures will not only help you communicate with the audience, but they will also assist you to remember important points.

A few people in the audience will have questions about your speech. Consider some of the products you might receive. Then jot down your responses and practice expressing them aloud.

2. How to create awareness about environmental pollution among people?

You must first ensure that you have a good understanding of environmental-related issues before you can begin promoting environmental consciousness in your community. Do some online research to learn about the root of pollution in your neighbourhood. Share your information with as many people as possible so that they are aware of the effects of pollution and how to avoid them. Creating an environmental group is another way to raise awareness. Various social media platforms can be used as tools to assist you in educating more people. The number of environmental challenges appears to be infinite, and while they are all crucial, it is easy to become overwhelmed. Choose one subject to concentrate on at a time.

3. What are the most important methods to conserve the environment?

Reduce the amount of waste you generate. Conserve natural resources and landfill space by following the three "R's" that are – Reduce, Reuse and Recycle.

Deforestation must be controlled or, ultimately, stopped.

The less water you consume, the less drainage and wastewater end up in the ocean.

Afforestation must be fostered, and public awareness must be promoted.

Energy-efficient light bulbs reduce greenhouse gas release. Also, flip the light switch off when you leave the room.

Fuelwood and timber wood should be used wisely.

In your house and office, use non-toxic materials.

We should maintain grazing lands and produce cover crops to keep soils from blowing away.

Using public transportation, walking, or riding a bike to class are all preferable options that assist the environment, save money, and provide exercise.

4. What is the importance of the environment for Human life?

The environment offers us a variety of producing resources, both renewable and non-renewable. It offers food, shelter, and air, as well as meeting all human needs.

Agriculture and the growing of crops and vegetables are facilitated by the ecosystem. Our waste products were thrown away and composted for use in agriculture.

Human life would not survive without the sun, water, air, and soil that make up the environment. It helps to keep life going by ensuring genetic variation and biodiversity.

Mountains, lakes, rivers, deserts, and a plethora of other amazing natural components are only beautiful because the environment exists.

The environment offers us fertile land, clean water, fresh air, animals, and a variety of other necessities for survival.

5. Where can I get the Essays/Speeches on important topics for school?

Students can access the important materials to write a speech/essay for their school competition from Vedantu. Both online and offline study resources include a free download option that students can use to meet their specific needs. Students can also get various sample papers and revision notes for all the subjects from Vedantu. These study materials are designed by subject matter experts to help students enhance their academic performance. The PDF is also prepared with the understanding of crucial concepts in mind, as our focus is on the student's overall growth.

50 Interesting Informative Speech Topics for College

26 September, 2020

15 minutes read

Author:  Mathieu Johnson

Informative speeches grant speakers a responsible mission of educating people about significant ideas and themes. They’re also about sharing thoughts and opinions on this or that topic, aimed at expanding understanding and providing listeners with relevant insights for further deliberation. Therefore, it’s a particular type of speeches given to put things into sharp focus and offer food for thought. Read up to know which informative speech topics have the most impact.

What is an informative speech?

As mentioned above, it’s a kind of speech that, well, informs the audience about your topic. Sounds simple enough, but simplicity is deceptive, and there are enough secrets behind this science. Specifically, not all people are fully aware of the fact that the “what” question is a key element that needs to be answered, for with informative speeches, you want to choose a topic most likely to be well received.

Of course, you can speak about something you already know, but you can also talk about the topic which is absolutely new to you. In this case, however, you must make sure that the theme will be relatively easy to research and studied before speech delivery. Another important point worth noticing is that organizational requirements and type of information for informative speech usually intertwines with those for an informative essay, for the latter is often an extension of the first.

How to write an informative speech?

So, now it’s time to move from theory to practice and write an informative speech. But where do you start from?

Although there are many different processes involved in the process, we’ll narrow them to essentials to help you better grasp the idea of how a perfect speech should be tailored.

Stage 1. Research and Brainstorming

Think about the topic.

The first and most crucial step is about choosing the right topic. We’ve mentioned before that it’s vital to select the issue you feel free to talk about. However, there are also cases when professors assign a specific task for you. Either way, the point here is to conduct thorough research based on the given or chosen topic.

If you want to explain the history of some company, band or event, for example, make sure to deliver the message clearly, without going here and there. For this, consider talking about particular points which will cover the whole speech and help the audience quickly digest it. Otherwise, your speech will depart from the topic, and listeners will find it challenging to follow your thoughts.

Gather Evidence

Every scholarly work proves its credibility by the inclusion of relevant sources to show both the audience and the instructor that you’ve put enough effort into the work to sound authoritative. This is a great chance to get a good mark, but more importantly, earn trust from listeners. To cite the evidence correctly, you can search for some facts, stats, or numbers in a variety of sources. These include textbooks, books, and encyclopedias (online ones work as well), scholarly articles, reputable news bureaus, and government documents. If these are hard to find for you, think of alternatives, like online journals and magazines. But be careful and don’t use sources from there if they are not credible and reputable. As an example, use The New York Times, The Guardian, Harvard Business Review, SAJE journals, Forbes, etc.

Also, keep in mind that the evidence you’ll use should depend on the subject of your talk. If it’s about science, check scientific publications. If it’s about medicine – embark upon texts on this specific sphere. Finally, don’t forget to create a works cited page at the end of your speech and put all your sources there. Even if your instructor does not specify such a requirement, create a list anyways. This will help you keep references organized, and you will be able to pick a suitable one from the list.

Generate a Nice Thesis

A thesis is the core of impactful speech that tells listeners about its focal points. It also reveals the purpose of your speech and provides the audience with an insight into what the speech is all about. Notably, your thesis should not exceed the length of one-two sentences and be as precise as possible. More so, thesis, like the speech itself, is not about convincing people to take your topic stance immediately. Rather, it’s about informing listeners about significant events or cases which they could analyze and make relevant conclusions themselves. No need to push them or force to change the perspective, just try to be genuine and honest with people you’re talking to. Considering that it’s a scholarly piece of work, there’s no room for appealing to emotions or subjective claims. So in informative speeches, objectivity is the key player.

Informative speech outline

The outline is a skeleton of your speech that briefly explains each of your points. This is basically a list of short sentences which reveal the meaning of your main speech ideas. Remember that this list is not for the audience; it’s for your own use. So the task here is to write about every point in a way you’ll understand. You can also use notecards instead of paper so that it’ll be much easier for you not to get lost in a sea of ideas and organize the speech properly. Tip: include numbers and capital letters for headings, and bullet points or other figures to mark subheadings.

If you are still unsure on whether you can cope with your task – you are in the right place to get help. Our essay writers will easily answer the to the question “Who can write my speech?”

Stage 2. Writing

Once the sketches are ready and you have a clear understanding of what to speak about, move on straight to writing.

Craft an Engaging Intro

What does engaging stand for in this case? It denotes some speech elements which will be enticing for listeners from the first sentence. It’s a common practice to start speeches with different hooks to call for more people’s attention. There are a plethora of techniques you can use to make an unforgettable first impression: jokes, anecdotes, examples from personal life, interesting statistics, rhetorical questions, quotes of famous people. You can even invent your own attention-grabber which will help you knock down listeners.

Give More Detail in the Main Body

Once you managed to create impact by the introduction and made sure everyone will be eager to listen to you further, you need to expand the explanation of key speech ideas in a well-structured, organized manner. Like in regular life, you start a story from the beginning to the end, while gradually moving from one idea to another. The same goes for informative speech – you need to ensure that the flow of your narration is logical and concise, fully elaborated, and precise. Also, don’t forget about making transitions between sentences. They will make your speech flow naturally, helping the audience to process the information much easier and effortlessly.

Wrap Everything Up in Conclusion

The ending of your informative speech should restate the main idea and the thesis you’ve mentioned in the introduction. There’s no need to say new things that will only confuse your audience. Instead, all the conclusion needs is a nice wrapping of the already stated claims.

So basically you want to review your main points and thereby deliver listeners a message which they will perceive as a major takeaway from what you’ve just told them. However, the introductory part should by no means repeat previous information word by word. It’s just a short restatement that covers up the main points.

Proofread and Edit the Final Version

Once the text is written entirely, it’s a must for you to double check it to avoid possible mistakes. If your informative speech turns out not as informative as expected due to grammatical or lexical errors, you’ll not be taken seriously, which we bet is not the purpose of delivering your talk. So, to prevent casualties from happening, you’ll need to use reliable editing and proofreading tools. Grammarly is an excellent source for this. Its accurate algorithm detects all kinds of mistakes and fixes them on the fly in a matter of seconds. And you can also check the text for plagiarism to make sure that it has no analogs anywhere on the web.

Stage 3. Perfecting Speech Delivery

Memorize your speech.

Half work is done – you have a writing piece. Now it’s time to learn it. Of course, it’ll take you time to do this, but with a little patience and enough time, you can memorize it even faster than expected. Besides, it’s not recommended to learn the speech from A to Z, inside out and upside down by heart. If your instructor is indulgent enough, feel free to memorize your talk in a way that allows you to explain your ideas clearly and consistently. To facilitate the process of learning, you can memorize sentence by sentence until you’re confident. And even if you forget something during delivery, you can always count on the outline that’ll give you a hint on what to talk about next.

Practice Reading Speech Aloud

When the final product is finally ready and polished, you need to concentrate on reading it.

Practice the speech in a mirror, to a friend/relative/pet, or record yourself to trace the tone and intonation. This way, you’ll make sure that your informative speech is brilliant and you deliver it just the way you wanted. Besides, this practice can help you critically evaluate the flaws and correct them before the actual delivery. Have enough time for this, because even experienced speakers always rehearse their speeches. Finally, focus on the way you use gestures, the way you stand and look at the audience, and facial expressions.

List of informative speech topics

There are lots of easy informative speech topics to choose from, but we offer you to review our topics list with some of the most alluring ones to get you started. Let’s examine pro informative topics that’ll help you write a memorable speech.

Topics for informative speech about music

• Frank Sinatra – a beloved father of music
• The drastic evolution of french music
• Deep house – the most popular music style among youngsters
• Why did rock and roll became an epitome of popular dance music
• Why does reggae music most known under the name of Bob Marley
• The psychological and physical benefits of listening to music
• Chill, lounge and electronica has market the era of progressive sound
• The impact of rap music on society at large
• The art of playing the violin
• The evolution of jazz music and its connection to historical movements

Informative speech topics about animals

• Why are so many animals under extinction today and how do we fix it?
• Why dogs are considered as humans best friend?
• The history and evolution of polar bears
• Why does rhinos horn trimming in South Africa still allowed
• How to properly raise chinchillas
• The most dangerous types of dogs on the planet
• Staggering intellectual abilities of elephants baffle even scientists
• How to keep snakes away and save your life
• Different types of butterflies
• The history of bees and their role in the world

Topics for informative speech about global warming

• Patterns in climate change: rising temperatures and flooding
• What Effects does Climate Change have on the Earth and its Inhabitants?
• What are the practical solutions to global warming
• What is global warming and what causes it?
• The future of global warming: dismal predictions and statistics
• Controversial opinions about global warming
• The greenhouse effect as the top one reason of climate change
• The global issue of global warming: what’s next?
• Humans are responsible for the emergence and progress of global warming
• Sanctions against generation of greenhouses: will they ever take place?

Informative speech ideas about sports

• How sports improve human physical and psychological health
• Is golf the game of the past?
• The real life of sport teams: from trainings to furious games
• Can roller skating be considered a kind of sport?
• What’s more dangerous: white water rafting or ice diving?
• The history of sports: whom do we owe respect?
• Hockey 101: gear, playing techniques, team spirit
• Why is boxing the most dangerous type of sports
• The most unusual kinds of sports humans have invented
• The importance and potential threat of football for the world 

Interesting speech topics about food and drinks

• How to bake a cake and not put on weight
• Why does alcohol bring so much trouble to contemporary youth?
• There are no superfoods, the study shows
• Does fast food really cause addiction?
• The secret ingredient of Coca Cola and why you’ll never want to drink it again
• If the fruit diet useful for health?
• Why bananas can save the world
• Eating vegetables and olive oil is a golden ticket to rejuvenation
• What’s the difference between natural and processed foods?
• Why eating pizza is the worst way to get away with cooking

As you can see from the list of topics for speeches, informative speech is a perfect occasion to explore interesting themes in depth and share your knowledge with people who are most likely to learn new things with you. Discovering a variety of topics and writing them on paper is perhaps the most engaging task your instructor has ever assigned you. And if you find it challenging to come with the right idea for a good topic, just send a “ write my speech ” request, and we’ll complete your order in no time.

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3.3: Ethical Speaking

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• Alyssa Millner@King College & Rachel Price@University of Kentucky
• Millersville University via Public Speaking Project

In January, 2012, an Australian politician, Anthony Albanese, presented a speech to the National Press Club. Several people criticized this speech, saying that he stole lines from Michael Douglas’s character (the U.S. President) in the movie The American President . Several specific lines from Albanese’s speech did seem to mirror Douglas’s monologue, with only the names changed. The Liberal Party federal director, Brian Loughnane, claimed that this shows Albanese is “unoriginal and devoid of ideas.” Others stated that he should be embarrassed and should apologize to the Parliament (ABC News, 2012).

What do you think about Albanese’s speech? Was this a simple mishap? A funny prank? Something more serious? What do you think this says about Albanese’s character? His reputation as a politician? Assessing your attitudes and values toward this situation is the same as considering how ethics play a role in public speaking.

Ethical public speaking is not a onetime event. It does not just occur when you stand to give a 5-minute presentation to your classmates or coworkers. Ethical public speaking is a process. This process begins when you begin brainstorming the topic of your speech. Every time you plan to speak to an audience—whether it is at a formal speaking event or an impromptu pitch at your workplace—you have ethical responsibilities to fulfill. The two most important aspects in ethical communication include your ability to remain honest while avoiding plagiarism and to set and meet responsible speech goals.

Integrity is telling myself the truth. And honesty is telling the truth to other people/ ~ Spencer Johnson

Be Honest and Avoid Plagiarism

plagiarism Credible public speakers are open and honest with their audiences. Honesty includes telling your audience why you’re speaking (thesis statement) and what you’ll address throughout your speech (preview). For instance, one example of dishonest speech is when a vacation destination offers “complimentary tours and sessions” which are really opportunities for a sales person to pitch a timeshare to unsuspecting tourists. In addition to being clear about the speech goal, honest speakers are clear with audience members when providing supporting information.

One example of dishonest public communication occurs in the music industry where many cases of illegal melody lifting exist. For example, a famous Beach Boys song titled Surfin’ USA is actually a note-for-note rendition of a 1958 Chuck Berry song (Pegg, 2000). Though it may be common, the practice of not properly crediting an author for his or her work is unethical. Other examples of deceitful communication include political speeches that intentionally mislead the public. For instance, a former White House press aide, Scott McClellan, claims that President Bush misled the American people about reasons for the Iraqi war (Shear, 2008). McClellan claims that the President had manipulated sources in order to gain support for the war. Such claims can be damaging to one’s reputation. Thus, responsible public speakers must actively avoid plagiarism and remain committed to honesty and integrity at all costs.

Identify your sources

identify your sources The first step of ethical speech preparation is to take notes as you research your speech topic. Careful notes will help you remember where you learned your information. Recalling your sources is important because it enables speaker honesty. Passing off another’s work as your own or neglecting to cite the source for your information is considered plagiarism . This unethical act can result in several consequences, ranging from a loss in credibility to academic expulsion or job loss. Even with these potential consequences, plagiarism is unfortunately common. In a national survey, 87 percent of students claimed that their peers plagiarized from the Internet at least some of the time (Cruikshank, 2004). This statistic does not take into account whether or not the plagiarism was intentional, occurring when the writer or speaker knowingly presented information as his or her own; or unintentional, occurring when careless citing leads to information being uncredited or miscredited (Wilhoit, 1994). However, it is important to note that being unaware of how to credit sources should not be an excuse for unintentional plagiarism. In other words, speakers are held accountable for intentional and unintentional plagiarism. The remainder of this section discusses how to ensure proper credit is given when preparing and presenting a speech.

A liar should have a good memory. ~ Quintilian

There are three distinct types of plagiarism – global, patchwork, and incremental plagiarism (Lucas, 2011). Global plagiarism , the most obvious form of plagiarism, transpires when a speaker presents a speech that is not his or her own work. For example, if a student finds a speech on the Internet or borrows a former speech from a roommate and recites that speech verbatim, global plagiarism has occurred. Global plagiarism is the most obvious type of theft. However, other forms of plagiarism are less obvious but still represent dishonest public speaking.

If you tell the truth, you don't have to remember anything. ~ Mark Twain

Sometimes a student neglects to cite a source simply because she or he forgot where the idea was first learned. Shi (2010) explains that many students struggle with plagiarism because they’ve reviewed multiple texts and changed wording so that ideas eventually feel like their own. Students engage in “‘patchwriting’ by copying from a source text and then deleting or changing a few words and altering the sentence structures” (Shi, 2010, p. 1). Patchwork plagiarism is plagiarism that occurs when one “patches” together bits and pieces from one or more sources and represents the end result as his or her own. Michael O’Neill (1980) also coined the term “paraplaging” to explain how an author simply uses partial text of sources with partial original writing. An example of patchwork plagiarism is if you create a speech by pasting together parts of another speech or author’s work. Read the following hypothetical scenario to get a better understanding of subtle plagiarism.

Three months ago, Carley was talking to her coworkers about expanding their company’s client base. Carley reported some of the ideas she’d been pondering with Stephen and Juan. The three employees shared ideas and provided constructive criticism in order to perfect each notion, and then mentioned they’d revisit the conversation over lunch sometime soon. A week later, Carley shared one of her ideas during the company’s Monday morning staff meeting. Carley came up with the idea, but Stephen and Juan helped her think through some of the logistics of bringing in more clients. Her peers’ input was key to making Carley’s client-building idea work. When Carley pitched her idea at the company staff meeting, she didn’t mention Stephen or Juan. She shared her idea with senior management and then waited for feedback.

Did Carley behave unethically? Some would say: “No!” since she shared her own idea. Did Carley speak honestly? Perhaps not because she didn’t account for how her idea took shape— with the help of Stephen and Juan. This scenario is an example of how complicated honesty becomes when speaking to an audience.

The third type of plagiarism is incremental plagiarism , or when most of the speech is the speaker’s original work, but quotes or other information have been used without being cited. Incremental plagiarism can occur if, for example, you provide a statistic to support your claim, but do not provide the source for that statistic. Another example would be if a student included a direct quote from former president Ronald Reagan without letting the audience know that those were Reagan’s exact words. Understanding the different types of plagiarism is the first step in ensuring that you prepare an honest speech.

Decide when to cite

When speaking publically you must orally cite all information that isn’t general knowledge. For example, if your speech claims that the sun is a star, you do not have to cite that information since it’s general knowledge. If your speech claims that the sun’s temperature is 15.6 million Kelvin (Nine Planets, 2011), then you should cite that source aloud. Ethical speakers are not required to cite commonly known information (e.g., skin is the largest human organ; Barack Obama was elected President of the U.S. in 2008). However, any information that isn’t general knowledge must be orally cited during a speech. The same is true in the text of a speech outline: cite all non-general information.

The OWL, an online writing lab at Purdue University, provides an excellent guide for when you need to cite information (see Table 3.1). Understanding when to include source material is the first step in being able to ethically cite sources. The next step in this process is to determine how to appropriately cite sources orally and in written materials.

Cite Sources Properly

You’ve learned the importance of citing sources. Now that you know why written and oral citations are important to the ethical process of public speaking, let’s focus on how to cite supporting speech material. Studies show that oftentimes students do not cite a source because they’re unsure of how or when to cite a reference (Shi, 2010). Shi’s study describes some typical responses for why students did not cite sources, such as “I couldn’t remember where I learned the information,” or “I had already cited that author and didn’t want the audience to think all of my information was from some outside source.” Though these rationales are understandable, they are not ethical.

Understand paraphrasing and direct quotations

Next, it is important to understand the process for paraphrasing and directly quoting sources in order to support your speech claims. First, what is the difference between paraphrasing and directly quoting a source? If you research and learn information from a source—the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), for instance— and then share that information in your own words; you don’t use quotation marks; but you do credit the CDC as your source. This is known as a paraphrase —a sentence or string of sentences that shares learned information in your own words. A direct quote is any sentence or string of sentences that conveys an author’s idea word-for-word. According to the APA (American Psychological Association) Publication Manual (2010), when writing speech content, you must include quotation marks around an author’s work when you use his or her keywords, phrases, or sentences. This would be relevant for a speech outline, a handout, or a visual aid. It is also important to specify a direct quote when you are orally citing during your speech. This indicates to the audience that you are using the original author’s exact words. While it is acceptable to use the phrases “begin quote” and “end quote” to indicate this to your audience, such phrases can be distracting to the audience. One way to clearly and concisely indicate a direct quote is to take a purposeful pause right before and after the quoted material. This differentiates between your words and the source material’s words. See Table 3.2 for examples of how to paraphrase and directly quote an author, both in written speech materials and for an oral citation.

Develop accurate citations

Ethical speakers share source information with the audience. On written materials, such as handouts or speech outlines, citations are handled much like they would be in any essay. In addition to written citations, oral citations provide source information to audience members who may not see your written speech. In all citations, enough information should be given so that the audience can easily find the source.

You may choose to briefly describe the author before citing him or her to lend credibility to your supporting information. Writing style guidebooks, such as APA or MLA (Modern Language Association), teach that a source's credentials are not necessary in the text of your paper. We can interpret that the same is true for providing oral citations in a speech----the author's occupation, the source website, or the journal name are not required bu may be helpful verbal cues to explain the legitimacy of your chosen source. You should provide enough information so that an audience member can locate the source. For instance, if explaining the research of a medical doctor, it might be useful to describe the doctor as a leading pediatrician--after which you would state the doctor's last name, year of publication, and the quote or paraphrase. To orally paraphrase a Langer quote (see example poster in Figure 3.1), you might say to your audience:

I really agree with Langer (1989), who wrote in her book Mindfulness , that our world is constructed from the categories we build in our mind. I find that I interpret the world based in my initial understanding of things and have to mindfully force myself to question the categories and biases I've formally created in my head.

Note, the Langer paraphrase provides the author's last name, year of publication, and the title of the book should an audience member want to find the orally cited source.

Ethical speakers provide written, oral, and visual citations. Visual aids, discussed in Chapter 13, include posters, objects, models, PowerPoints, and handouts. Visual aids are used to enhance your speech message. Visual aids, just like speech content, must be displayed ethically for the audience. In other words, if you use a poster to display a famous quote, then you should cite the author on your poster (see Figure 3.1). Similarly, you should cite sources on your PowerPoint throughout the presentation. It is not sufficient to include a "Sources" or "References" slide at the end of your PowerPoint presentation because that does not accurately link each author to his or her work. Instead, ethical presenters provide an author reference on the slide in which the cited content is shown (see Figure 3.2).

Speakers should also carefully select and correctly cite images displayed in their visual aid. Images should be relevant to the keywords used on your PowerPoint slide. In other words, captions are not necessary because the image can stand alone; images you display should obviously correlate with your speech content (a caption is typically used because the picture needs explanation). In other words, the presence of a caption typically means your image does not directly correspond with the verbal speech material. Images should support, not distract, from the verbal or visual message. Hence, there is no need for blinking, rotating, or otherwise distracting visual aids (Danoff-Burg 2002). Images should be simple and relevant. All pictures should be cited, unless the presenter uses a personal clipart, or purchased stock image. To cite an image, simply include the credit (or web link) to that picture; note, however, the font of the link should be reduced so that it is visible to the audience without distracting from the content in your visual aid. Seeing an image link should not be distracting to audience members.

It’s also important to understand how copyright law might affect what and how you include information in your speech and on your visual aid. The fair use provision allows for copyrighted information to be shared if it is used for educational benefits, news reporting, research, and in other situations. Nolo (2010) explains, “In its most general sense, a fair use is any copying of copyrighted material done for a limited and ‘transformative’ purpose, such as to comment upon, criticize, or parody a copyrighted work. Such uses can be done without permission from the copyright owner” (para. 1). In order to determine if the use of content falls under the fair use provision, there are four factors to consider:

1. How will this be used?

2. What is to be used?

3. How much will be used?

4. What effect does this have? (Harper, 2007)

You can find more about these four factors at the U.S. Copyright website – www.copyright.gov.

Ethical citing includes crediting authors in the text of your written speech materials, acknowledging authors aloud during your speech, and citing images and sources on your visual aid. However, ethics in public speaking encompass more than crediting source material. It’s also necessary to strive for responsible speech goals.

Ethics and equity and the principles of justice do not change with the calendar. ~ David Herbert Lawrence

Set Responsible Speech Goals

Jensen (1997) coined the term “rightsabilities” to explain how a communicator must balance tensions between speaker rights and responsibility to others. Ensuring that you have responsible speech goals is one way to achieve ethical communication in public speaking. There are several speech goals that support this mission. This section will focus on five goals: 1) promote diversity, 2) use inclusive language, 3) avoid hate speech, 4) raise social awareness, and 5) employ respectful free speech.

Promote diversity

One important responsibility speakers have is fostering diversity , or an appreciation for differences among individuals and groups. Diversity in public speaking is important when considering both your audience and your speech content. Promoting diversity allows audience members who may be different from the speaker to feel included and can present a perspective to which audience members had not previously been exposed. Speakers may choose a speech topic that introduces a multicultural issue to the audience or can promote diversity by choosing language and visual aids that relate to and support listeners of different backgrounds. Because of the diversity present in our lives, it is necessary to consider how speakers can promote diversity.

One simple way of promoting diversity is to use both sexes in your hypothetical examples and to include co-cultural groups when creating a hypothetical situation. For example, you can use names that represent both sexes and that also stem from different cultural backgrounds. In the story about Carley and her co-workers, her co-workers were deliberately given male names so that both sexes were represented. Ethical speakers also encourage diversity in races, socioeconomic status, and other demographics. These choices promote diversity. In addition, ethical speakers can strive to break stereotypes. For instance, if you’re telling a hypothetical story about a top surgeon in the nation, why not make the specialized surgeon a female from a rural area? Or make the hypothetical secretary a man named Frank? You could also include a picture in your visual aid of the female surgeon or the male secretary at work. Ethical speakers should not assume that a nurse is female or that a firefighter is male. Sexist language can alienate your audience from your discussion (Driscoll & Brizee, 2010).

Another way that sexist language occurs in speeches is when certain statements or ideas are directed at a particular sex. For example, the “Selecting a Florist” speech described at the beginning of this chapter may be considered sexist by many audience members. Another example is the following statement, which implies only males might be interested in learning how to fix a car: “I think that fixing a car is one of the most important things you can learn how to do. Am I right, guys?” Promoting diversity is related to using inclusive language, discussed in the following sections.

Excellence is the best deterrent to racism or sexism. ~Oprah Winfrey

Use inclusive language

Avoiding sexist language is one way to use inclusive language. Another important way for speakers to develop responsible language is to use inclusionary pronouns and phrases. For example, novice speakers might tell their audience: “One way for you to get involved in the city’s Clean Community Program is to pick up trash on your street once a month.” Instead, an effective public speaker could exclaim: “One way for all of us to get involved in our local communities is by picking up trash on a regular basis.” This latter statement is an example of “we” language —pronouns and phrases that unite the speaker to the audience. “We” language (instead of “I” or “You” language) is a simple way to build a connection between the speaker, speech content, and audience. This is especially important during a persuasive speech as “we” language establishes trust, rapport, and goodwill between the speaker and the audience. Take, for example, the following listener relevance statements in a persuasive speech about volunteering:

“You” language : You may say that you’re too busy to volunteer, but I don’t agree. I’m here to tell you that you should be volunteering in your community.

“We” language : As college students, we all get busy in our daily lives and sometimes helpful acts such as volunteering aren’t priorities in our schedules. Let’s explore how we can be more active volunteers in our community.

In this exchange, the “you” language sets the speaker apart from the audience and could make listeners defensive about their time and lack of volunteering. On the other hand, the “we” language connects the speaker to the audience and lets the audience know that the speaker understands and has some ideas for how to fix the problem. This promotes a feeling of inclusiveness, one of the responsible speech goals.

Avoid hate speech

Another key aspect of ethical speaking is to develop an awareness of spoken words and the power of words. The NCA Credo of Ethical Communication (1999) highlights the importance of this awareness: “We condemn communication that degrades individuals and humanity through distortion, intimidation, coercion, and violence, and through the expression of intolerance and hatred” (para. 2). Words can be powerful—both in helping you achieve your speech goal and in affecting your audience in significant ways. It is essential that public speakers refrain from hate or sexist language. Hate speech, according to Verderber, Sellnow, and Verderber (2012), “is the use of words and phrases not only to demean another person or group but also to express hatred and prejudice” (p. 195). Hate language isolates a particular person or group in a derogatory manner. Michael Richards, famous for the role of Cosmo Kramer on Seinfeld, came under fire for his hate speech during a comedy routine in 2006. Richards used several racial epithets and directed his hate language towards African-Americans and Mexicans (Farhi, 2006). Richards apologized for his outbursts, but the damage to his reputation and career was irrevocable. Likewise, using hate speech in any public speaking situation can alienate your audience and take away your credibility, leading to more serious implications for your grade, your job, or other serious outcomes. It is your responsibility as the speaker to be aware of sensitive material and be able to navigate language choices to avoid offending your audience.

No matter what people tell you, words and ideas can change the world. ~ Robin Williams

Raise social awareness

Speakers should consider it their ethical responsibility to educate listeners by introducing ideas of racial, gender, or cultural diversity, but also by raising social awareness , or the recognition of important issues that affect societies. Raising social awareness is a task for ethical speakers because educating peers on important causes empowers others to make a positive change in the world. Many times when you present a speech, you have the opportunity to raise awareness about growing social issues. For example, if you’re asked to present an informative speech to your classmates, you could tell them about your school’s athletic tradition or you could discuss Peace One Day —a campaign that promotes a single day of worldwide cease-fire, allowing crucial food and medicine supplies to be shipped into warzone areas (PeaceOneDay, n.d.). If your assignment is to present a persuasive speech, you could look at the assignment as an opportunity to convince your classmates to (a) stop texting while they drive, (b) participate in a program that supports US troops by writing personal letters to deployed soldiers or (c) buy a pair of TOMS (tomsshoes.com) and find other ways to provide basic needs to impoverished families around the world. Of course, those are just a few ideas for how an informative or persuasive speech can be used to raise awareness about current social issues. It is your responsibility, as a person and speaker, to share information that provides knowledge or activates your audience toward the common good (Mill, 1987).

One way to be successful in attaining your speech goal while also remaining ethical is to consider your audience’s moral base. Moon (1993) identifies a principle that allows the speaker to justify his or her perspective by finding common moral ground with the audience. This illustrates to the audience that you have goodwill but allows you to still use your moral base as a guide for responsible speech use. For example, even though you are a vegetarian and believe that killing animals for food is murder, you know that the majority of your audience does not feel the same way. Rather than focusing on this argument, you decide to use Moon’s principle and focus on animal cruelty. By highlighting the inhumane ways that animals are raised for food, you appeal to the audience’s moral frame that abusing animals is wrong—something that you and your audience can both agree upon.

If we lose love and selfrespect for each other, this is how we finally die. ~ Maya Angelou

Employ respectful free speech

We live in a nation that values freedom of speech. Of course, due to the First Amendment, you have the right and ability to voice your opinions and values to an audience. However, that freedom of speech must be balanced with your responsibility as a speaker to respect your audience. Offending or degrading the values of your audience members will not inform or persuade them. For example, let’s say you want to give a persuasive speech on why abortion is morally wrong. It’s your right to voice that opinion. Nevertheless, it’s important that you build your case without offending your audience members— since you don’t know everyone’s history or stance on the subject. Showing disturbing pictures on your visual aid may not “make your point” in the way you intended. Instead, these pictures may send audience members into an emotional tailspin (making it difficult for them to hear your persuasive points because of their own psychological noise). Freedom of speech is a beautiful American value, but ethical speakers must learn to balance their speech freedom with their obligation to respect each audience member.

Fortunately for serious minds, a bias recognized is a bias sterilized. ~ Benjamin Haydon

100 Persuasive Speech Topics for Students

• Homework Tips
• Learning Styles & Skills
• Study Methods
• Time Management
• Private School
• College Admissions
• College Life
• Graduate School
• Business School
• Distance Learning
• M.Ed., Education Administration, University of Georgia
• B.A., History, Armstrong State University

There is a small but important difference between planning a persuasive speech and writing a persuasive essay. First, if you are planning a persuasive speech, you should think about a topic that can engage your audience. For this reason, you may want to consider a few topics before settling on the one that allows you to be more descriptive and entertaining.

Another important factor when picking a persuasive speech topic is to choose one that can provoke your audience. If you stir up a little emotion in your audience members, you'll keep their attention. The list below is provided to help you brainstorm. Choose a topic from this list or use the list to generate an idea of your own.

• Studying martial arts is good for mind and health.
• Competitive sports can teach us about life.
• Reality shows are exploiting people.
• Community service should be a graduation requirement for all high school students.
• The characteristics that make a person a hero.
• It's important to grow things in a garden.
• Violent video games are dangerous.
• Lyrics in a song can impact our lives.
• Traveling and studying abroad are positive experiences.
• Journal writing is therapeutic.
• You should spend time with your grandparents.
• A laptop is better than a tablet.
• Religion and science can go hand in hand.
• School uniforms are good.
• All-female colleges and all-male colleges are bad.
• Multiple choice tests are better than essay tests .
• We should not spend money on space exploration.
• Open-book tests are as effective as closed-book tests.
• Security cameras keep us safer.
• Parents should have access to students' grades.
• Small classes are better than big classes.
• You need to start saving for retirement now.
• Credit cards are harmful to college students.
• We should have a royal family.
• We should protect endangered animals.
• Texting while driving is dangerous.
• You can write a novel.
• Recycling should be required in the U.S.
• State colleges are better than private colleges.
• Private colleges are better than state colleges.
• We should do away with penny coins.
• Fast food containers hurt the environment.
• Plastic straws are harmful to the environment.
• You can eat and enjoy healthy snacks.
• You can become a millionaire.
• Dogs are better pets than cats.
• You should own a bird.
• It's unethical to keep birds in cages.
• Liberal arts degrees prepare graduates to be better workers than other degrees.
• Hunting animals should be banned.
• Football is a dangerous sport.
• School days should start later.
• Night school is better than day school.
• Technical training is better than a college degree.
• Immigration laws should be more lenient.
• Students should be able to choose their schools.
• Everyone should learn to play a musical instrument.
• Grass lawns should be prohibited.
• Sharks should be protected.
• We should do away with cars and go back to horse and carriage for transportation.
• We should use more wind power.
• We should pay more taxes.
• We should do away with taxes.
• Teachers should be tested like students.
• We should not interfere in the affairs of other countries.
• Every student should join a club.
• Homeschooling is better than traditional schooling.
• People should stay married for life.
• Smoking in public should be illegal.
• College students should live on campus .
• Parents should let students fail.
• Giving to charity is good.
• Education makes us happier people.
• T​he ​ death penalty should be outlawed.
• Bigfoot is real.
• We should increase train travel to save the environment.
• We should read more classic books.
• Fame is bad for young children.
• Athletes should stay loyal to teams.
• We should reform our prisons.
• Juvenile offenders should not go to boot camps.
• Abraham Lincoln was the best president.
• Abraham Lincoln gets too much credit.
• Students should be allowed to have cell phones in elementary, middle, and high school.
• College student-athletes should be paid for playing.
• Elderly citizens on fixed income should receive free public transportation.
• Colleges and universities should be free to attend.
• All American citizens should complete one year of community service.
• Students should be required to take Spanish classes.
• Every student should be required to learn at least one foreign language .
• Marijuana should be legal for recreational use nationwide.
• Commercial testing of products on animals should no longer be allowed.
• High school students should be required to participate in at least one team sport.
• The drinking age in the U.S. should be 25.
• Replacing fossil fuels with cheaper alternative energy options should be mandated.
• Churches need to contribute their share of taxes.
• The Cuba embargo should be maintained by the U.S.
• America should replace income taxes with a nationwide flat tax.
• Once they reach the age of 18, all U.S. citizens should be automatically registered to vote .
• Doctor-assisted suicide should be legal.
• Spammers—people who bombard the internet with unsolicited email—should be banned from sending junk mail.
• Every automobile driver should be required to take a new driver's test every three years.
• Electroshock treatment is not a humane form of therapy.
• Global warming is not real.
• Single-parent adoption should be encouraged and promoted.
• Gun companies should be held accountable for gun crimes.
• Human cloning is not moral.
• Religion does not belong in public education.
• Juveniles should not be tried as adults.
• American workers should be guaranteed a three-day weekend by law.
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• How Much Damage Do Bad Grades Do?
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• Personal Essay Topics

Powerful 2 Minute Speech Topics: A-Z Guide (With 200+ Examples)

Hrideep barot.

• Public Speaking , Speech Topics , Speech Writing

It is often believed that giving a 2-Minute Speech is the most challenging form of public speaking because of the time constraint. But here I am to tell you that there is something even more challenging than giving a 2-minute speech. And that is finding a powerful 2-minute speech topic !

2-minute speeches are short, crisp ways to present your opinion, understanding, or study to others. It is short. It is simple. And it is convenient, especially from the listener’s point of view.

To know more about 2-minute speeches, check out this short video below:

Here is what you can expect from this blog:

What is a 2-minute speech.

• How do you find a 2-minute speech topic?
• 2-minute speech topics

How to make a 2-minute speech script?

2-minute speeches to memorize, delivering 2-minute speeches.

2-minute speeches are short and crisp speeches of about 260-350 words.

Because 2-minute speeches are short, you can be assured of having constant attention from your audience. This means that you might have to come up with a 2-minute speech topic that is not only informative and interesting but one that stands out and makes the audience want to listen to it immediately.

So how do you find a 2-minute speech topic?

There are 2 ways you can find a 2-minute speech topic that would suit perfectly for your next speech.

First is when you go about doing your research and then ideating or selecting a topic that is more in line with your purpose of giving the speech.

The second and the most popular way to find a 2-minute speech topic is to go on to google and type 2-minute speech topics. You shouldn’t be shocked at the number of topics the internet has to offer to you. You might not even have to go anywhere else, jump on to the speech topics section if you want to get straight into selecting a 2-minute speech topic for yourself.

Researching for your 2-minute speech topic

So, you chose not to select one of the many topics available on the internet? That’s great! Want to know why?

1. It would help you come up with a topic that is more personalized and less common.

When you come up with the topic yourself, you move from the very broad topics available online and can find a topic that caters more to your area of interest or understanding.

2. You would be able to narrow down on a topic of your choice or area of interest.

3. it would help you gain an understanding of the topic from various points of view.

In the initial ideation stage, as you try to research the topic and find a topic for your 2-minute speech, you would be exposed to various political, environmental, or social perspectives of the same topic which would further help you to not only narrow down your topic but also understand your topic from various points of view, thus helping you ace a question-and-answer round.

Process of Finding a topic

Before beginning straight up by researching your topic, there are a couple of things that you might have to take a look into which will help you navigate through the next step (that is researching for your topic). These include:

1. Understanding the event for which you’d be giving the speech

Understanding the event or occasion where you will be giving the speech is important as it would give you a brief idea of what is expected in terms of the content and tone of your speech .

So, for instance, if you are giving a speech at a conference, it would have a more formal tonality to it as compared to a speech that you might present at your best friend’s wedding which would usually be filled with a lot of slang, humor, and casual tone.

2. Understanding your audience

The next thing you should try to find a little more clarity on is your possible audience. Understanding who the majority of your audience will comprise will help you in finding a topic that would be more in line with their broad interest, thus attracting them to listen to your speech right from the very beginning .

3. Your interests and knowledge

Yet another thing that you must take into consideration besides what the event and audience expect from you is your interest in the topic. Having a tad bit of understanding of the speech topic you would want to dive into can also help you in navigating through your research better.

4. Your purpose for giving the speech

Establish your purpose for giving the speech even before you start researching. The reason is very simple, you’d be able to understand which kind of a topic you should focus on depending on the purpose of your speech.

Do you plan on providing the audience with detailed information on the topic? Or are you trying to sell your view or product to the audience within these 2 minutes?

In both cases, your topic, as well as the structure of speech, would be very different.

Once you have an idea of your audience, your interests, and your knowledge areas, you can then move on to researching your topic.

A simple google search can be a good starting point.

Take the help of news articles, journals, blogs, and much more to narrow down and come up with a 2-minute speech topic that you feel most excited about!

Selecting a 2-minute speech topic from the internet

A-z list of 2-minute speech topics, find some of the best 2-minute speech topics here:.

• Abortion: Should the government have a say in it?
• Art:  A mode of storytelling
• A day in the life of a (add your profession, organization, or ethnicity)
• Artificial intelligence: a boon or a curse?
• Art and Craft: a lost activity
• Benefits of Yoga
• Benefits of meditation
• Ban on Animal testing
• Bullying and how to discourage it
• Buildings and Aesthetics: An architectural standpoint
• Chronic Depression and its cure
• Cults: The secrets you know nothing about
• Cultural difference: The harsh reality of moving abroad
• Corruption: the hidden dirt
• Cricket: sport turned into a religion
• Climate Change
• Disaster Management
• Domino effect in real life
• Demonetization in India
• Dance therapy and its uses
• Dealing with daily hassles of life
• Environmental pollution and its adverse effects
• Education system of India
• Election ethics and rules
• Elocutions: Everything you need to know
• Everything we know about aliens
• FOMO (Fear of missing out) and how to deal with it
• Falling in your dreams: the meaning behind it
• Fat loss fads you must avoid
• Fitness and influencing
• Forced labor: An unfortunate reality
• Girl Education: The inspiring story of Malala
• Generation gap and how it affects communication
• Gender sensitization and ways of being more aware of it
• Growing a terrace garden
• Gaining muscles: everything you need to know
• Health and Hygiene: Two underrated
• Hacks to do well in your academics
• Habits that are ruining your health
• Hollywood: An insight into the world of glamour
• Hitchhiking your way to find peace
• Importance of reading
• Importance of following a routine
• Importance of kindness
• Importance of education
• Importance of sports
• The language barrier and how to overcome it
• Loyalty: An endangered quality?
• Land Pollution and ways to deal with it
• Less is more: All about Minimalism
• Legalization of marijuana: An opinion
• Moral Policing: is it ethical?
• Memorizing speeches and their disadvantages
• Making friends as adults
• Manifestation: A belief or a joke?
• Millennials: generation of environmental advocates
• Mental health
• Music and its power to heal
• Media and its effects on forming opinions
• My role models
• Noise pollution
• National integration
• Natural resources: A tragedy of depleting future
• Negating minorities and their impact on the overall development of the country
• Natural disasters: Can we tackle them?
• Online dating and its effects on self-esteem
• Online education and its authenticity
• Overcoming fear through exposure therapy
• Olympics 2021
• Organ donation: Progress made so far
• Our Environment, our responsibility
• Pros and cons of being a vegetarian
• Political ideologies that shook the world
• Poor scores and their effect on the success
• Parenting styles over the years
• Paternal leaves in Indian organizations
• Poverty in India
• Positive thinking and gratitude
• Punctuality: Through the eyes of different cultures
• Quarantine and increase in social anxiety among people
• Qualifying for Olympics: Struggle unspoken of
• Quran and its teachings
• Questionnaire: The best way of collecting data?
• Questioning and its importance in the workspace
• Racism:  An unfortunate view in the society
• Right to education
• Religion vs Spirituality
• Reasons why failure is important
• The reality of fast-food brands
• Should body-shaming be a punishable offense?
• Sneaker trends that would blow your mind
• Sustainable fashion brands to follow
• Shaping perspectives through conformity
• Time management: A necessary corporate skill
• Travel and tourism: A Course
• Technology and its growing importance in everyday life
• Tourism in India
• The best day of my life
• Unity: A quality that formed countries
• Unity in Diversity in India
• Unemployment and its impact on the mental health of the youth
• Understanding climate change
• Understanding the importance of compounding
• Value of Education
• Value of Hard work
• Value of Discipline
• Videogames and their influence on violent behavior
• Viral: A trend or a tragic accident?
• Which is better: Studying in the country or moving abroad?
• What does sustainability mean?
• What is the Bermuda triangle?
• Water pollution and its solutions
• Waste management around the world
• World peace: An idea that is achievable or too far-fetched?
• Xenotransplantation: Future of organ transplantation
• Xerox: A brand or name for photocopy
• Xbox and its evolution over the years
• X-rays and how it harms the human body

2-minute speech topics for students

What are the best topics for students.

If you have asked yourself this question but haven’t received an answer yet, check out the list below to find one now!

• Opinion on the New education policy
• Need for sex education in schools
• Overcoming the problem of Brain Drain
• Addressing the issue of child labor
• Pros and cons of online degrees
• Boarding school vs full-time schools
• Co-ed school vs gender-specific schools
• Liberty to choose your subjects in schools
• Ban on uniforms
• Curbing school shootings
• Grading system: Changes required.
• Peer pressure and the need to fit in
• Coping with academic stress
• Are scores a good measure of student’s intelligence?
• Importance of focusing on extracurricular activities

2-minute speech topics for MBA students

• Advantages of cloud kitchens
• Importance of understanding the market
• Best marketing strategy
• Hard work vs smart work
• The rise of entrepreneurship in India
• Importance of internships in skills building
• Reservation system: My honest pinion
• Pros and cons of working from home
• Everything about GST you don’t know of
• Stocks or Cryptocurrencies?
• Using reels to market products
• Understanding the importance of influencer marketing
• Assessing job satisfaction among employees
• Biggest banking frauds in the world
•  How movies influence fashion trends
• The insane E-commerce discounts
• Women in Business
• Why age is just a number when it comes to entrepreneurship
• Management lessons from mythology
• Make in India or Make for India?

Speech topics for adults

• Are first impressions really the most lasting impressions?
• Importance of observing in everyday life
• Conforming vs standing out: What should you prefer?
• Impact of positive thinking in healing chronic diseases
• Importance of body language in public speaking
• Is buying luxury goods on a loan worth it?
• Why renting a house is better than buying it
• Why timetables never work
• How do colors affect the way we feel?
• How your brains are wired to think negatively
• Impact of childhood trauma on antisocial behaviors
• Love: Difference between what is real and reel
• Why being young is overrated
• Are you a victim of the fashion industry?
• How to easily start a conversation
• Savings in college could help you in your 40s
• Being happy all the time is an unachievable reality
• The advantages of taking calculated risks
• Dealing with stress on a daily basis
• How do you overcome obstacles?

2-minute speech topics for the Interview

• Understanding the future of the metaverse
• Hard work leads to smart work
• Effect of job satisfaction on life satisfaction
• How to motivate the employees in no time
• Gender Equality in the Workplace
• How to get over stage fright?
• How to give a speech in an interview?
• How organizational culture affects motivation?
• Management strategies that can help in improving productivity
• Ways to essentially decrease production costs

Funny 2-minute speech topics

• Why I would rather go to jail than clean utensils
• If I could live my cat’s life for a day
• The most profitable mistake I ever made
• Tutorial on how to deny reality
• Tips on walking your dog
• Why you must never eat fish food
• Things you can do to irritate someone
• Evolution of my new year’s resolutions
• Adulting and falling in love with the idea of arranged marriages
• Dating in 2022

2-minute speech topics on any proverb

• Beauty lies in the eye of the beholder
• Actions speak louder than words
• Health is wealth
• Joy of giving
• Don’t judge a book by its cover
• Knowledge is power
• Laughter is the best medicine
• Action speaks louder than words.
• A jack of all trades is a master of none.
• A good listener is a silent flatterer.
• All that glitters is not gold.
• Among the blind, the one-eyed man is the king.
• An idle brain is the devil’s workshop.
• As you sow, so you shall reap.
• What goes around comes back around.
• Curiosity killed the cat.
• Time is money.

Unique speech topics

• The tragedy of not being on social media
• Importance of taking a drop year
• Are scholarships always fair?
• Reasons teenagers start substance abuse
• Places on earth no man has ever been
• The most surveillance city in the world
• Why euthanasia is justified
• Formal schooling is important despite not being practical
• If the earth stopped rotating for a split second
• Benefits of boiling water

2-minute speech topics on famous personalities

• Mahatma Gandhi
• William Shakespeare
• Rabindranath Tagore
• Nelson Mandela
• Barack Obama
• A. P. J. Abdul Kalam
• Virat Kohli
• Jawaharlal Nehru
• Winston Churchill
• Abraham Lincoln

Once you have decided on your topic for the speech, the next step is to come up with the speech itself or the script.

For this, you’ll have to understand the approx number of words you will be comfortable adding to your speech so as to not exceed the time limit of 2-minutes.

Next, you can go about the usual “ introduction, main body, and conclusion ” structure for structuring your script.

It isn’t necessary for you to frame the entire speech word for word, you can also frame it in a pointer format if that is more convenient for you.

How do you start a 2-minute speech?

As there isn’t much time in your hand, presenting detailed opening lines for a 2-minute speech would mean that you would have to cut down on your main content.

Instead, you can start by giving a very quick introduction like “Hi I am Nisha and I will be talking about the adverse effects of sleep deprivation today with you.”

You can also use other more fun and engaging ways to begin your speech and there are tons of ways you can do it. Check out the list below to find examples of a few:

1. Rhetorical questions

Rhetorical questions are questions wherein you want to provoke the audience to think and not to come up with any specific answer . An example of the same is given below.

So from a glance, do I look like marriage material? Nina Donovan

Jokes and humor are almost always appreciated by the audience provided it isn’t even slightly derogatory or demeaning to anyone. Opening your 2-minute speech with a joke can in fact be a good attention grabber that would also not take up a lot of your speech time .

Example of a joke used as an opening line:

Do you know when brown kids get slapped? Every brown birthday party. Hasan Minhaj

3. Statistics or figures

What is the best way to make someone understand the reality of any situation you ask? Figures, numbers, or stats!

Because when the audience sees the number in front of them, they can no longer be in denial or in their own world of assumptions. Hence, using statistics in your opening lines would definitely help you reach your goal of spreading awareness (if that is what your purpose is).

Suicide happens to be one of the leading causes of death in United states with approximately one indivdiual dying to suicide every 11 minutes. The question is why are we still overlooking this grave issue?

To know more about effective opening lines, check out our post on 50 speech opening lines .

Following your brief introduction, as you dive into your topic, there are a couple of things that you must keep in your mind, they are:

• Stick to only one takeaway . Having many takeaways might not help you effectively reach the audience.
• Try to add short stories only if you plan on adding a story to your speech. Make sure that it isn’t taking up a huge chunk of your speech time.

How do you end your 2-minute speech?

In short speeches, your ending or conclusion is very important. It needs to be impactful. You can either summarize your speech in a couple of seconds or you can re-establish your takeaway at this point in your speech. You can try to end with a powerful quote or try to motivate your audience to take some action .

An example of asking the audience to take an action is,

“So as we reach the end of the speech on effects of sleep deprivation, I’d want you to go back home and think to yourself, is browsing for  a couple of more minutes really necessary over your precious sleep?”

To take a deeper look into the closing lines for your speech, check out our video below!

2-minute speech on Brain Drain

Sundar Pichai, Satya Nadela, Leena Nair, and Paraag Agarwal what do they all have in common?

You probably guessed it right! They are the CEOs of some of the biggest companies in the world but there is yet another commonality that they have. They are all Indian Origin CEOs who gained their initial education from some of the top colleges in India to hold such exceptional positions in world-renowned companies now. 

If this isn’t a good example of brain drain, I’m not sure what is. Brain drains, a concept that is very common to Indians when we lose some of the smartest people of our country to better opportunities abroad. These companies not only offer the individuals with better work ethos and environment but also provide them with a handsome paycheck and add to that the amount of appreciation they receive for the work they chip in. Something that is either too rare or alien to the Indian work environment. 

But the scenario in India is changing. With the coming of start-up culture in India where the employees are given just as much priority as the company’s clients If the companies encourage such open and collaborative culture where there is a fair opportunity for growth provided to all the employees, we might be able to see some considerable fall in the problem of brain drain in India.

Importance of education 2-minute speech

Do you remember how in school they asked us to prove whether the two figures were triangles when you could easily have concluded that they indeed were triangles just by looking at them?

So then why do we say that education is important?

For starters, to be able to live a decent life, the basic requirement for any job is for you to possess at least a diploma or degree. Apart from the theoretical learning that we get through education, there are plenty of other skills and experiences we are exposed to like broadening our perspective by interacting with peers, enhancing public speaking skills, understanding the basics of how the world functions are it the laws and rights that the individual possesses or the understanding of geographical division and economic conditions in the society. Education helps in enhancing the capacities, attitudes, interests, urges, and needs of the individual. And hence when the student or individual is deprived of education, it isn’t just the theoretical knowledge that they miss out on but they also miss out on having a holistic development of themselves. This is what makes education very important in everyone’s life.

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Final Words

2-minute speeches are short and crisp which can serve as a blessing as you are not required to go too much into detail. You can come up with a 2- minute speech topic either by researching one that fits perfectly with your interests or you can find one online.

The idea is to enjoy giving the speech. And for you to enjoy delivering your speech, it is important for you to first come up with something that excites you and interests you!

Keep following Frantically Speaking for more such short guides to help you with your public speaking and communication skills.

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99 Easy Persuasive Speech Topics

Persuasive speech topics are vast and varied. Whether you’re looking for a light-hearted topic to entertain an audience or something more serious to inspire action, there are plenty of easy persuasive speech topics to choose from. 

Take a look at this list of easy persuasive speech topics and see if any of them pique your interest!

• Importance of Wearing Sunscreen
• Benefits of Meditation and Mindfulness
• The Power of Connection: Why Strong Social Support Is Essential for Well-Being
• Dangers of Social Media Addiction
• The Need for Renewable Energy Sources
• The Benefits of Self-Care: Why It’s Essential for Your Health and Happiness
• The Benefits of Adopting a Plant-Based Diet
• The Importance of Financial Literacy and Budgeting
• Benefits of Learning to Code
• The Need for Stricter Animal Cruelty Laws
• Dangers of Fast Fashion and the Importance of Sustainable Fashion
• Living Life: Traveling and Experiencing Different Cultures
• The Importance of Mental Health Awareness and Seeking Help When Needed
• Benefits of Having a Diverse and Inclusive Society
• Mindfulness and Meditation: Simple Practices for Reducing Stress and Improving Mental Clarity
• The Need for Equal Pay for Equal Work
• Benefits of Getting a Good Night’s Sleep
• Dangers of Substance Abuse
• The Power of Exercise: How Regular Physical Activity Can Improve Your Physical and Mental Health
• Benefits of Using Public Transportation
• The Importance of Water Conservation
• Self-Reflection and Introspection: The Path to Personal Growth
• Learning a Musical Instrument is Beneficial
• Sleep: The Importance of Getting Enough Rest for Your Health and Productivity
• The Need for Better Gun Control Laws
• Dangers of Texting While Driving
• Setting Boundaries and Taking Care of Your Needs
•  Benefits of Reading for Pleasure
• The Importance of Protecting Civil Liberties
• Benefits of Spending Time in Nature
• Nourish Your Body: The Benefits of a Healthy Diet
• The Need for More Affordable Housing Options
• Dangers of Cyberbullying
• Supporting Small Businesses
• Taking Breaks and Giving Yourself Permission to Relax
• The Importance of Protecting Endangered Species
• Benefits of Reducing Screen Time
• The Need for Universal Healthcare Access
• The Importance of Engaging in Things That Bring Fulfillment
• The Benefits of Scheduling and Planning: How to Get More Done in Less Time
• The Power of Time Management for Achieving Work-Life Balance
• The Power of Saying No
• Benefits of Delegating and Asking for Help
• The Importance of Setting Priorities and Managing Time Effectively
• Maximizing Productivity Through Time Management Strategies
• The Benefits of Scheduling and Planning for Success
• The Power of Setting and Achieving Goals
• Benefits of Time Blocking and Focus Time
• Importance of Being Organized and Streamlining Processes
• Equal Education for All: The Importance of Providing Opportunities for Every Student
• The Importance of Homework and Its Impact on Student Learning
• The Benefits of a Later Start Time for High School Students
• Benefits of a Dress Code or Uniform Policy in Schools
• The Importance of Physical Education and Recess in Schools
• Benefits of Offering a Wider Variety of Elective Courses in Schools
• The Importance of Financial Literacy Education in Schools
• The Benefits of Incorporating More Hands-On, Experiential Learning Opportunities in Schools
• Importance of Mental Health Resources and Support in Schools
• Benefits of Implementing Restorative Justice Practices in Schools
• Importance of Providing Equal Educational Opportunities for All Students, Regardless of Their Socio-Economic Background.
• Importance of Spending Quality Time With Family
• Benefits of Regular Family Dinners
• The Benefits of Family Vacations
• Importance of Open and Honest Communication Within Families
• The Benefits of Teaching Children About Financial Responsibility and Budgeting
• The Benefits of Having a Strong Support System Within the Family
• Importance of Setting Boundaries and Establishing Rules Within Families
• The Benefits of Forgiveness and Reconciling Relationships Within Families
• The Importance of Showing Gratitude and Appreciation Towards Family Members
• Benefits of Implementing a “Digital Detox” and Disconnecting From Technology Within the Family
• The Importance of Reading Food Labels and Understanding Ingredients
• Dangers of Excessive Sugar Intake and Strategies for Reducing Sugar Consumption
• Benefits of Home Cooking and Meal Planning
• Environmental Impact of Food Waste and Strategies for Reducing Waste
• The Benefits of Incorporating More Whole Grains, Fruits, and Vegetables Into Your Diet
• Dangers of Fast Food and the Benefits of Eating More Home-Cooked Meals
• The Benefits of Eating Locally-Grown, Seasonal Produce
• Importance of Breakfast for Maintaining a Healthy Weight and Improving Cognitive Function
• Dangers of Dieting and the Importance of Maintaining a Healthy Relationship With Food
• The Importance of Being Punctual and the Consequences of Being Late
• The Importance of Being Honest and the Consequences of Lying
• Benefits of Volunteering and Giving Back to the Community
• The Importance of Being Respectful Towards Others and the Consequences of Being Disrespectful
• Benefits of Taking Responsibility for One’s Actions and the Dangers of Avoiding Responsibility
• Importance of Being Prepared and the Consequences of Being Unprepared
• Benefits of Being Organized and the Consequences of Being Disorganized
• Importance of Maintaining a Healthy Work-Life Balance and the Consequences of Neglecting Personal Relationships
• Importance of Communication in a Healthy Relationship
• Benefits of Forgiveness in a Relationship
• Dangers of Codependency and the Importance of Maintaining a Sense of Self in a Relationship
• The Benefits of Setting Boundaries in a Relationship
• The Importance of Trust in a Relationship and the Consequences of Betrayal
• Benefits of Compromise in a Relationship
• The Importance of Respecting Each Other’s Differences in a Relationship
• Benefits of Regular Date Nights and Keeping the Romance Alive in a Long-Term Relationship
• Importance of Maintaining a Healthy Romantic Life in a Relationship
• Benefits of Seeking Therapy or Counseling to Improve a Struggling Relationship
• Dangers of Smoking and the Need for Stricter Laws on Tobacco Advertising
• Importance of Voting and Civic Engagement

Final Thoughts

Remember, when choosing a topic for a persuasive speech, it’s important to choose something that you are passionate about and that you can argue convincingly. You should also consider your audience and whether the topic will be of interest to them.

Related Posts:

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PM to overhaul benefits system and tackle Britain's "sick note culture" in welfare reform speech

In a major speech today [Friday 19 April], the Prime Minister unveiled a package of welfare reform measures to tackle the unprecedented rise in economic inactivity and ensure our benefits system is better targeted at those who need it most.

• PM to announce plans to overhaul benefits system to ensure people who are fit to work aren’t left behind on benefits 
• Fit note system to be reviewed after 11 million fit notes issued last year with 94% written off as unfit to work
• Comes amid unprecedented rise in inactivity due to long term sickness with latest figures showing almost a third of working age adults are inactive

The Prime Minister’s new plan for welfare will end Britain’s “sick note culture”, which has resulted in a significant rise in people being unnecessarily written off work and parked on welfare. 

It comes amid concerns that the fit note system has opened the floodgates for millions of people to be written off work and into welfare without getting the right support and treatment they might need to help them stay in work.

Data recently published by the NHS shows almost 11 million fit notes were issued last year, with an overwhelming 94% of those signed “not fit for work”. A large proportion of these are repeat fit notes which are issued without any advice, resulting in a missed opportunity to help people get the appropriate support they may need to remain in work.

To address this, the Prime Minister announced a review of the fit note system to stop people being written off as “not fit for work” by default and instead design a new system where each fit note conversation focuses on what people can do with the right support in place, rather than what they can’t do.

As part of this, the government will consider shifting the responsibility for issuing the fit note away from already stretched GPs, towards specialist work and health professionals who have the dedicated time and expertise to provide an objective assessment of someone’s ability to work and the tailored support they may need.   

A call for evidence will be published later today to seek responses from a diverse range of perspectives, including those with lived experiences, healthcare professionals and employers, both on how the current process works and how it can better support people with health conditions to start, stay, and succeed in work.

The Prime Minister said: 

“We don’t just need to change the sick note, we need to change the sick note culture so the default becomes what work you can do – not what you can’t.  

“Building on the pilots we’ve already started we’re going to design a new system where people have easy and rapid access to specialised work and health support to help them back to work from the very first Fit Note conversation.  

“We’re also going to test shifting the responsibility for assessment from GPs and giving it to specialist work and health professionals who have the dedicated time to provide an objective assessment of someone’s ability to work and the tailored support they need to do so.”  

Setting out his vision for a “new welfare settlement for Britain”, the Prime Minister outlined the new challenges that have emerged since the pandemic particularly the unprecedented rise in inactivity and how the government plans to tackle them.

Before the pandemic, we had the second lowest inactivity rate in the G7, lower than France, Germany, Italy, USA and Canada. But since the pandemic, a significant number of working aged people have become inactive due to long term sickness which has in large part been driven by mental health conditions.

Latest figures from the Office for National Statistics suggest there are currently 2.8 million people who are ‘economically inactive’ due to long-term sickness, a near-record high. Of those inactive due to long term sickness at the start of last year, 53% reported that they had depression, bad nerves or anxiety.

This is also driving an unsustainable increase in welfare spending as more people claiming disability benefits are now assessed as having anxiety or depression as their main condition. 

Since the pandemic, total spending on working age disability and ill-health benefits increased by almost two-thirds from £42.3 billion to £69 billion and we now spend more on these benefits than our core schools’ budget or on policing.

The fit note process is often the first step to someone falling out of work and acts as a gateway towards some ill health and disability benefit assessments. There is also clear evidence that the longer someone is out of work, the lower the likelihood that they return to work – further exacerbating the rise in inactivity.

The Prime Minister made the case that we need to be more ambitious about how we help people, particularly with mental health conditions, back into work and ensure they are not left behind on the benefits system.

The Prime Minister also said: 

“We should see it as a sign of progress that people can talk openly about mental health conditions in a way that only a few years ago would’ve been unthinkable, and I will never dismiss or downplay the illnesses people have. 

“But just as it would be wrong to dismiss this growing trend, so it would be wrong merely to sit back and accept it because it’s too hard; or too controversial; or for fear of causing offence. Doing so, would let down many of the people our welfare system was designed to help. 

“Because if you believe as I do, that work gives you the chance not just to earn but to contribute, to belong, to overcome feelings of loneliness and social isolation and if you believe, as I do, the growing body of evidence that good work can actually improve mental and physical health…

“…then it becomes clear: we need to be more ambitious about helping people back to work and more honest about the risk of over-medicalising the everyday challenges and worries of life.”  

Today’s fit note review builds on the significant steps we’ve taken so far to break down barriers to work and tackle inactivity. This includes through our £2.5 billion Back to Work Plan which is already helping over a million people, including those with mental health conditions, break down barriers to work by expanding access to mental health services and putting an additional 384,000 people through NHS Talking Therapies.

The new WorkWell pilot is also being rolled out and will support almost 60,000 long-term sick or disabled people to start, stay and succeed in work once it has gone live in approximately 15 areas across England.

The WorkWell services provides a single, joined-up assessment and gateway into local employment support services, to help people manage their health conditions and get back to work sooner. This is part of an ambitious programme to support disabled people and people with health conditions to start, stay and succeed in work. 

We are also testing reforms of the fit note process to integrate it more closely with WorkWell, enabling the people who need it to have a work and health conversation, with a single, joined-up assessment and gateway into local employment support services. It will also complement the role of Occupational Health in ensuring employers understand and benefit from more expert work and health support to retain and support those in work.

The fit note call for evidence is part of five key reforms the Prime Minister outlined in his speech to put work at the heart of welfare and modernise the welfare system to ensure it is fit for the future.

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USC valedictorian speaks out after school canceled her commencement speech

"I also wanted to impart a message of responsibility," Asna Tabassum said.

The University of Southern California's campus has been in the spotlight after school administrators canceled a student valedictorian's commencement speech due to safety concerns over her pro-Palestinian views.

Asna Tabassum, a first-generation South Asian-American Muslim, was scheduled to give a speech on May 10. School administrators, however, decided to cancel her speech citing safety concerns.

"The intensity of feelings, fueled by both social media and the ongoing conflict in the Middle East, has grown to include many voices outside of USC and has escalated to the point of creating substantial risks relating to security and disruption at commencement," Andrew T. Guzman, the school's provost and senior vice president for academic affairs, said in a letter to students on Monday.

"This decision is not only necessary to maintain the safety of our campus and students, but is consistent with the fundamental legal obligation – including the expectations of federal regulators – that universities act to protect students and keep our campus community safe," he added.

Tabassum has openly criticized the decision and several Muslim rights groups have also called out the school. Pro-Israel associations, however, have commended the school for its decision.

The college senior spoke about the situation with ABC News Live's Phil Lipof on Wednesday.

ABC NEWS LIVE: I want to start with this statement that the college provost said, in part, that "The intensity of the feelings around allowing you to speak escalated to the point of creating substantial risk relating to security and disruption at the commencement, pointing out harassment and violence seen on other campuses."

But I know you had a meeting with them. I'm wondering, did they tell you anything specific, a specific threat that was made against you, or have you had any specific threats made against you?

ASNA TABASSUM: Yeah. Thanks so much for having me. I will have to say no. Nothing specific was offered to me, no specific details regarding security threats or safety concerns were offered to me.

MORE: USC cancels valedictorian's speech amid Palestinian support, student says school 'caving to fear and rewarding hatred'

ABC NEWS LIVE: A lot of people talk about the criticism of you and your classmates, some of them feel like this goes back to a link. You've talked about this post on social media to a site there.

Another person created this [site], we should point out you did not create it, you posted it to a site [that] some believe contains anti-Semitic views, really some violent anti-Semitic views, including calling for the abolishment of the State of Israel.

So do you think that's part of it? And do you believe the State of Israel should be abolished?

TABASSUM: So when it comes to abolishing the State of Israel, I do want to point out the rest of the link, and so the very next sentence talks about the peaceful coexistence of Arabs and Jews.

And I think it points to what I've been saying since the beginning of this issue, which is that I'm committed to human equality and to human rights. And so this link, I encourage people to look at it in its entirety rather than looking at one specific example.

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For example, it's discussing both the one-state and the two-state solution and it's discussing the history of the region. And I think that there's important information for people to understand on their own and come to their own conclusions about.

When it comes to abolishing the state of Israel. I will say I want to abolish apartheid.

ABC NEWS LIVE: If there is one-state and two-state in there, you could see a two-state solution. I think the abolishment of Israel is what bothered a lot of people. But you would advocate for a two-state solution, so Israel would still exist, and then there would be a Palestinian state? Is that what I'm hearing?

TABASSUM: So no, I'm not necessarily committing to a one-state or a two-state solution. I'm simply saying that this information on the website offered information from multiple perspectives, and so my endorsing of any one single perspective is unfounded.

ABC NEWS LIVE: OK. So USC has said this is not meant to infringe upon your free speech. Do you feel like it's doing just that?

TABASSUM: So in its most technical terms, the ability to give a speech at commencement is a privilege, right?

It's not necessarily free speech, but what I will say that I expressed my views and I express my views online, and the hatred that was leveled at me because of myself expressing these views I think ultimately was part of the reason why USC caved in.

And so whether free speech in its most technical terms is being debated here is maybe up for debate. But I will say speech is an issue and speech is being stifled.

MORE: The Israel-Hamas war is a hot-button issue. How K-12 schools are addressing it.

ABC NEWS LIVE: What were you going to speak about? There's a lot of talk about what you posted, that link, and what your beliefs may be. Were you going to talk about that at graduation, or were you going to give a different kind of speech?

TABASSUM: So, the valedictorian honor is ultimately a unifying honor, right? It's emblematic of USC's unifying values. And I think I take that to heart.

I wanted my speech to be in the genre of a valedictory speech, and so that being said, I wanted to impart a message of hope. I also wanted to impart a message of responsibility.

We are given a wonderful set of higher education. We have been given the knowledge of learning how to learn. And so I wanted to encourage my peers to learn about the world and come to their own conclusions and then act to change the world in the ways that they see fit.

And so ultimately, taking in my role as valedictorian, I wanted to be a unifying voice for all students, and that was preemptively taken away from me.

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• Apr 16, 7:18 AM

ABC News Live

24/7 coverage of breaking news and live events

California valedictorian will no longer give graduation speech over 'alarming' discussion

The university of southern california says asna tabassum will no longer speak at the ceremony after the discussion about her selection took on 'an alarming tenor'.

The University of Southern California said its valedictorian will no longer deliver a graduation speech this year, citing "substantial risks relating to security" over social media chatter surrounding the Israel-Hamas conflict.

The Los Angeles school revealed that Asna Tabassum , a fourth-year student from Chino Hills, California, was selected as the valedictorian and would give a speech alongside two salutatorians. In a news release Monday, the university said she would no longer speak at the ceremony after the discussion about her selection took on "an alarming tenor."

The move comes after some students, alumni and others complained to the university about Tabassum's social media, which includes an Instagram bio that links to a pro-Palestine website.

"The intensity of feelings, fueled by both social media and the ongoing conflict in the Middle East, has grown to include many voices outside of USC and has escalated to the point of creating substantial risks relating to security and disruption at commencement," Provost Andrew Guzman said in a statement.

Guzman said the school can not ignore that similar risks led to harassment and violence at other campuses. He added that the school's Department of Public Safety and campus safety team have consulted to evaluate potential threats for graduation, which typically draws around 65,000 people.

"This decision is not only necessary to maintain the safety of our campus and students, but is consistent with the fundamental legal obligation – including the expectations of federal regulators – that universities act to protect students and keep our campus community safe," he said.

Groups call to reverse USC decision

Tabassum addressed the university's decision in a statement released through the Council on American-Islamic Relations-Los Angeles.

"Although this should have been a time of celebration for my family, friends, professors, and classmates, anti-Muslim and anti-Palestinian voices have subjected me to a campaign of racist hatred because of my uncompromising belief in human rights for all," Tabassum said.

The council said the school's decision empowers voices of hate, violates its obligation to project students and "sends a terrible message to not only Muslim students at USC but all students who dare to express support for Palestinian humanity." It's also urging the community to demand the school to allow Tassabum to speak at graduation.

Among the calls against Tassabum as a graduation speaker were student group " Trojans For Israel ," who said her selection turned "an inclusive and meaningful milestone into an unwelcoming and intolerant environment for Jewish graduates and their families."

The 2024 commencement ceremony is scheduled for Friday, May 10.

War in Gaza stokes controversy worldwide

Controversies over the ongoing Israel-Hamas conflict have been amplified since Oct. 7, 2023, when Hamas militants launched a brutal attack on Israel, killing approximately 1,200 people.

Over 30,000 Palestinians  have died in Gaza since that day. The region is also difficult to access, leaving many civilians displaced and  facing famine .

The crisis had led to protests for the release of Israeli hostages  and to  call for a ceasefire in Gaza , with those speaking out in support of Israelis and Palestinians  on social media receiving threats.

Contributing: Kinsey Crowley

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For more audio journalism and storytelling, download New York Times Audio , a new iOS app available for news subscribers.

The Opening Days of Trump’s First Criminal Trial

Here’s what has happened so far in the unprecedented proceedings against a former u.s. president..

This transcript was created using speech recognition software. While it has been reviewed by human transcribers, it may contain errors. Please review the episode audio before quoting from this transcript and email [email protected] with any questions.

It’s the first day of the Trump trial and just walking out the door in my house. It’s a beautiful day, 6:11 AM. The thing that keeps running through my head is it’s kind of amazing that hundreds of jurors are going to show up at the Manhattan courthouse. And some of them are going to know what they’re there for — probably talking to their friends, their relatives about it.

Some of them are going to learn this morning talking to other jurors in line, asking what all the fuss is about. But I really do imagine that there’s going to be at least one potential juror who, headphones on, getting into court. Here they’re going to be there for the first criminal trial of Donald J. Trump. And just, I mean, how would you react?

[MUSIC PLAYING]

From “The New York Times,” I’m Michael Barbaro. This is “The Daily.” Today, what it’s been like inside the lower Manhattan courtroom, where political and legal history are being made? My colleague, Jonah Bromwich, on the opening days of the first criminal trial of a US President. It’s Thursday, April 18.

Is that his mic? Hi, there.

Hello. How are you?

I’m doing good.

OK. Thank you for coming in, Jonah —

Thank you for having me.

— in the middle of a trial. Can you just explain why you’re able to even be here?

Sure. So we happen to be off on Wednesdays during trial, so.

We being not “The New York Times,” but the courts.

That’s right.

Which is why we’re taping with you. And because we now have two full court days of this history-making trial now under our belts. And the thing about this trial that’s so interesting is that there are no cameras in the courtroom for the wider world.

There’s no audio recordings. So all we really have is and your eyes and your notebook, maybe your laptop. And so we’re hoping you can reconstruct for us the scene of the first two days of this trial and really the highlights.

Yeah, I’d be happy to. So on Monday morning, I left the subway. It’s before 7:00 AM. The sun is just rising over these grandiose court buildings in lower Manhattan.

I’m about to turn left onto Center Street. I’m right in front of the big municipal building.

And I turn onto Center Street. That’s where the courthouses are.

I’m crossing.

And I expected to see a big crowd. And it was even bigger than I had anticipated.

Here we go. Here we go. Here we go. Now, I finally see the crowd.

You have camera banks. You have reporters. You have the beginnings of what will eventually become a protest. And you have this most New York thing, which is just a big crowd of people.

[CHUCKLES]: Who just know something is going on.

That’s right. And what they know is going on is, of course, the first trial of an American president.

All right, I’m passing the camera, folks. Camera, camera, camera, camera. Here we go.

Let’s start with Sharon Crowley live outside the courthouse in Lower Manhattan.

I want to get right to ABC’S Aaron Katersky who’s outside of the courthouse.

Robert Costa is following it outside the courthouse in Lower Manhattan. Bob, I saw the satellite trucks lined up all in a row. Good morning.

Talk to us how we got here exactly.

So this is the case that was brought by the Manhattan district attorney. So prosecutors have accused Donald Trump of covering up the actions of his former fixer, Michael Cohen, after Cohen paid hush money to Stormy Daniels. Stormy Daniels had a story about having had sex with Donald Trump, which Trump has always denied.

Cohen paid her money, and then Trump reimbursed Cohen. And prosecutors say that Trump essentially defrauded the American people because he hid this information that could have been very important for the election from those people when he reimbursed Cohen.

Right. And as I remember it, he also misrepresented what that reimbursement was. Claimed it was a legal fee when, in fact, it was just reimbursing Michael Cohen for a hush money payment.

Exactly, yeah. He definitely didn’t say reimbursement for hush money payment to Stormy Daniels. It’s a cover up case. It’s a case about hiding information you don’t want people to see.

Right. And of course, the context of all this is that it is in the middle of a presidential election. It’s 2016. Trump wants to keep this secret, prosecutors allege, so that the American public doesn’t know about it and potentially hold it against him.

Right. And prosecutors are telling a story about election interference. They’re saying that Trump interfered with an election. And Trump himself is also using the phrase “election interference.” But he’s painting the trial itself as election interference as he now runs again in 2024.

Fascinating.

And because we’re in Manhattan, and because the jury pool is going to be largely Democratic, and the judge is a Democrat, and the district attorney is a Democrat, Trump keeps claiming he cannot get a fair shake. This is democrat central. And in democrat central, Trump doesn’t have a chance.

OK. So, what happens once you actually enter the courthouse?

Outside, there’s all this fanfare. But inside, it’s a little bit business as usual. So I go up to the 15th floor, and I walk into the courtroom, and I sit down, and it’s the same old courtroom. And we’re sitting and waiting for the former president.

Around 9:30, Trump walks in. He looks thin. He looks a little tired, kind of slumping forward, as if to say with his body like let’s get this over with. Here we go.

The judge walks in a little bit after that. And we think we’re all set for the trial to start, but that’s not what happens here. And in fact, there are a series of legal arguments about what the trial is going to look like and what evidence is going to be allowed in.

So, for example, prosecutors ask that they be allowed to admit into evidence headlines from “The National Enquirer” that were attacks on Trump’s 2016 opponents — on Ted Cruz, on Marco Rubio, on Ben Carson.

Because prosecutors are in some sense putting Trump’s 2016 campaign on trial. These headlines are a big part of that because what prosecutors say they show is that Trump had this ongoing deal with “The National Enquirer.” And the publisher would promote him, and it would publish damaging stories about his opponents. And then crucially, it would protect Trump from negative stories. And that’s exactly what prosecutors say happened with Stormy Daniels. That “The National Enquirer” tipped Cohen off about Stormy Daniels trying to sell her story of having had sex with Donald Trump, which he denies. And that led to the hush money payment to her. So what prosecutors are doing overall with these headlines is establishing a pattern of conduct. And that conduct, they say, was an attempt to influence the election in Trump’s favor.

And the judge agrees. He’s going to admit this evidence. And this is a pretty big win for the prosecution. But even though they win that one, they’re not winning everything.

They lose some important arguments here. One of them was that after the Access Hollywood tape came out, there were allegations of sexual assault against Donald Trump. And you know this, Michael, because you reported two of them — two of the three in question at this very trial.

Prosecutors had hoped to talk about those during trial in front of the jury to show the jurors that the Trump campaign was really, really focused on pushing back against bad press in the wake of the Access Hollywood tape in which Trump seemed to describe sexual assault. That was a big problem for the campaign. Campaign did everything it could to push back, including against these allegations that surfaced in the wake of the tape.

But the judge, saying that the allegations are hearsay — that they’re based on the women’s stories — says absolutely not. That is incredibly prejudicial to the defendant.

Interesting.

And that Donald Trump would actually not get a fair trial were those allegations to be mentioned. And so he will not let those in. The jurors will not hear about them.

So this is a setback, of course, for the prosecution, a victory for Trump’s legal team.

It’s a setback. And it also just shows you how these pre-trial motions shape the context of the trial. Think of the trial as a venue like a theater or an athletic contest of some sort. And these pre-trial motions are about what gets led into the arena and what stays out. The sexual assault allegations — out. “The National Enquirer” headlines — in.

OK. And how is Trump sitting there at the defense table reacting to these pre-trial motion rulings from the judge?

Well, as I’ve just said, this is very important stuff for his trial.

Right. Hugely important.

But it’s all happening in legal language, and I’m decoding it for you. But if you were sitting there listening to it, you might get a little lost, and you might get a little bored. And Trump, who is not involved in these arguments, seems to fall asleep.

Seems to fall asleep — you’re seeing this with your own eyes.

What we’re seeing, overall, including our colleague, Maggie Haberman, who’s in the overflow room and has a direct view of Trump’s face — I’m sitting behind him in the courtroom, so I can’t see his face that well.

You guys are double teaming this.

That’s right. I’m sitting behind him, but Maggie is sitting in front of him. And what she sees is not only that his eyes are closed. That wouldn’t get you to he is asleep.

And we have to be really careful about reporting that he’s asleep, even if it seems like a frivolous thing. But what happens is that his head is dropping down to his chest, and then it’s snapping back up. So you’ve seen that, when a student —

I’ve done that.

(CHUCKLES) Yeah. We all kind of know that feeling of snapping awake suddenly. And we see the head motion, and it happens several times.

Lawyers kind of bothering him, not quite shaking him, but certainly trying to get his attention. And that head snapping motion, we felt confident enough to report that Trump fell asleep.

During his own criminal trial’s opening day.

Does someone eventually wake him up?

He wakes up. He wakes up. And in fact, in the afternoon, he’s much more animated. It’s almost as if he wants to be seen being very much awake.

Right. So once these pre-trial motions are ruled on and Trump is snapped back to attention, what happens?

Well, what happens in the courtroom is that the trial begins. The first trial of an American president is now in session. And what marks that beginning is jurors walking into the room one by one — many of them kind of craning their necks over at Donald Trump, giggling, raising their eyebrows at each other, filing into the room, and being sworn in by the judge. And that swearing in marks the official beginning of the trial.

The beginning is jury selection, and it’s often overlooked. It’s not dramatized in our kind of courtroom dramas in the same way. But it’s so important. It’s one of the most important parts of the case. Because whoever sits on the jury, these are the 12 people who are going to decide whether Trump is guilty or whether Trump is innocent.

So how does jury selection actually look and feel and go?

So, jury selection is a winnowing process. And in order to do that, you have to have these people go through a bunch of different hurdles. So the first hurdle is, after the judge describes the case, he asks the group — and there are just short of 100 of them — whether they can be fair and impartial. And says that if they can’t, they should leave. And more than half the group is instantly gone.

So after we do this big mass excusal, we’re left with the smaller group. And so now, jurors are getting called in smaller groups to the jury box. And what they’re going to do there is they’re going to answer this questionnaire.

And this part of the process is really conducted by the judge. The lawyers are involved. They’re listening, but they’re not yet asking questions of the jurors themselves.

And what’s on the questionnaire?

Well, it’s 42 questions. And the questions include, their education, their professional histories, their hobbies, what they like to do whether you’re a member of QAnon or Antifa.

Whether you’re far left or far right.

That’s right. Whether you’ve read “The Art of the Deal,” Trump’s book, which some prospective jurors had.

Right. It was a bestseller in its time.

That’s right. And some of it can be answered in yes/no questions, but some of it can be answered more at length. So some of the prospective jurors are going very, very fast. Yes, no, no, no, yes.

Right. Because this is an oral questionnaire.

That’s right. But some of them are taking their time. They’re expanding on their hobbies. So the potential juror in seat 3, for example, is talking about her hobbies. And she says some running, hiking. And then she said, I like to go to the club, and it got a huge laugh. And you get that kind of thing in jury selection, which is one of the reasons it’s so fun. It’s the height of normality in this situation that is anything but normal.

Right. The most banal answer possible delivered in front of the former president And current Republican nominee for president.

Well, that’s one of the fascinating parts about all this, right? is that they’re answering in front of Trump. And they’re answering questions about Trump in front of Trump. He doesn’t react all that much. But whenever someone says they’ve read “The Art of the Deal —” and there are a few of those — he kind of nods appreciatively, smiles. He likes that. It’s very clear. But because there are so many questions, this is taking forever, especially when people are choosing to answer and elaborate and digress.

This is when you fall asleep.

This Is. When I would have fallen asleep if I were a normal person.

And by the end of the day. Where does jury selection stand?

Well, the questionnaire is another device for shrinking that jury pool. And so the questionnaire has almost these little obstacles or roadblocks, including, in fact, a question that jurors have seen before — whether they would have any problem being fair and impartial?

Hmm. And they ask it again.

They’re asked it again. And they’re asked in this more individualized way. The judge is questioning them. They’re responding.

So, remember that woman who said she liked to go to the club got a big laugh. She reaches question 34. And question 34 reads, “Do you have any strong opinions or firmly-held beliefs about former President Donald Trump or the fact that he is a current candidate for president that would interfere with your ability to be a fair and impartial juror?” She said, yes, she does have an opinion that would prevent her from being fair and impartial. And she, too, is excused.

So that’s how it works. People answer the questionnaire, and they get excused in that way, or they have a scheduling conflict once they reach the jury box. And so to answer your question, Michael. At the end of day one, given all these problems with the questionnaire and the length of time it’s taken to respond to and people getting dismissed based on their answers, there is not a single juror seated for this trial.

And it’s starting to look like this is going to be a really hard case for which to find an impartial jury.

That’s the feeling in the room, yeah.

We’ll be right back.

So Jonah, let’s turn to day 2. What does jury selection look like on Tuesday?

So when the day begins, it looks almost exactly like it looked when the day ended on Monday. We’re still with the questionnaire, getting some interesting answers. But even though it feels like we’re going slow, we are going.

And so we’ve gone from about 100 people to now there’s about 24 the room there’s 18 the jury box. And by the time we hit lunch, all those people have answered all those questions, and we are ready for the next step in the process.

Voir dire. And what it is the heart of jury selection. This is the point where the lawyers themselves finally get to interview the jurors. And we get so much information from this moment because the lawyers ask questions based on what they want out of the jurors.

So the prosecution is asking all these different kinds of questions. The first round of wajir is done by a guy named Joshua Steinglass, a very experienced trial lawyer with the Manhattan District Attorney’s Office. And he’s providing all these hypotheticals. I’ll give you one example because I found this one really, really interesting. He provides a hypothetical about a man who wants his wife killed and essentially hires a hitman to do it. And what he asked the jurors is, if that case were before you, would you be able to see that the man who hired the hitman was a part of this crime?

And of course, what he’s really getting at is, can you accept that even though Michael Cohen, Trump’s fixer, made this payment, Trump is the guy who hired him to do it?

That’s right. If there are other people involved, will jurors still be able to see Donald Trump’s hands behind it all?

Fascinating. And what were some of the responses?

People mostly said, yes, we accept that. So that’s how the prosecution did it.

But the defense had a totally different method of voir dire. They were very focused on their client and people’s opinions about their client.

So what kind of questions do we get from them?

So the lawyer, Todd Blanche, is asking people, what do you make of President Trump? What do you think of President Trump?

And what are some of the responses to that?

Well, there’s this incredible exchange with one of the jurors who absolutely refuses to give his opinion of Donald Trump. They go back and forth and back and forth. And the juror keeps insisting you don’t need to know my opinion of him. All you need to know is that I’m going to be fair and impartial, like I said. And Blanch pushes, and the guy pushes back. And the only way the guy budges is he finally kind of confesses almost at the end that, yes, I am a Democrat, and that’s all we get.

And what ends up happening to this potential juror?

Believe it or not, he got dismissed.

[LAUGHS]: I can believe it. And of course, it’s worth saying that this guy and everybody else is being asked that question just feet from Trump himself.

That’s right. And you might think you were going to get a really kind of spicy, like, popcorn emoji-type exchange from that. But because these are now jurors who have said they can be fair and impartial, who, to some extent, want to be on this jury or at least wouldn’t mind being on this jury, they’re being very restrained.

Mostly, what they are emphasizing — much like that guy just described dis — is that they can be fair. They can be impartial. There’s one woman who gives this really remarkable answer.

She says, I thought about this last night. I stayed up all night. I couldn’t sleep, thinking about whether I could be fair. It’s really important to me, and I can.

What ends up happening to that particular juror?

She’s also dismissed. And she’s dismissed without any reason at all. The defense decides it doesn’t like her. It doesn’t want her on the jury. And they have a certain number of chances to just get rid of jurors — no questions asked.

Other jurors are getting dismissed for cause — I’m doing air quotes with my hands — which means that the lawyers have argued they actually revealed themselves through their answers or through old social media posts, which are brought up in the courtroom, to be either non-credible, meaning they’ve said they can be fair and they can’t, or somehow too biased to be on the jury.

Wait, can I just dial into that for a second? Are lawyers researching the jurors in real time going online and saying — I’m making this up — but Jonah Bromwich is a potential juror, and I’m going to go off into my little corner of the courtroom and Google everything you’ve ever said? Is that what’s happening in the room?

Yeah, there’s a whole profession dedicated to that. It’s called jury consultant, and they’re very good at finding information on people in a hurry. And it certainly looked as if they were in play.

Did a social media post end up getting anybody kicked off this jury?

Yes, there were posts from 2016 era internet. You’ll remember that time as a very heated one on the internet, Facebook memes are a big thing. And so there’s all kinds of lock him up type memes and rhetoric. And some of the potential jurors here have used those. And those jurors are dismissed for a reason.

So we have these two types of dismissals, right? We have these peremptory dismissals — no reason at all given. And we have for cause dismissals.

And the process is called jury selection. But you don’t actually get selected for a jury. The thing is to make it through all these obstacles.

You’re left over.

Right. And so when certain jurors are not dismissed, and they’ve made it through all these stages, by the end of the day, we have gone from zero juror seated to seven jurors who will be participating in Donald Trump’s trial.

Got it. And without going through all seven, just give us a little bit of a sketch of who so far is on this jury. What stands out?

Well, not that much stands out. So we’ve got four men. We’ve got three women. One lives on the Upper East Side. One lives in Chelsea. Obviously, they’re from all over Manhattan.

They have these kind of very normal hobbies like spending time with family and friends. They have somewhat anonymous jobs. We’ve got two lawyers. We’ve got someone who’s worked in sales.

So there’s not that much identifying information. And that’s not an accident . One of the things that often happens with jury selection, whether it be for Donald Trump or for anyone else, is the most interesting jurors — the jurors that kind of catch your attention during the process — they get picked off because they are being so interesting that they interest one or the other side in a negative way. And soon they’re excused. So most of the jurors who are actually seated —

Are not memorable.

Are not that memorable, save one particular juror.

OK. All right, I’ll bite. What do I need to know about that one particular juror?

So let me tell you about a prospective juror who we knew as 374, who will now be juror number five. She’s a middle school teacher from Harlem. And she said that she has friends who have really strong opinions about Trump, but she herself does not. And she insisted several times, I am not a political person.

And then she said this thing that made me quite surprised that the prosecution was fine with having her on the jury. She said, quote, “President Trump speaks his mind, and I’d rather that than someone who’s in office who you don’t know what they’re thinking.”

Hmm. So she expressed approval of President Trump.

Yeah, it was mild approval. But the thing is, especially for the defense in this trial, all you need is one juror. One juror can tie up deliberations in knots, and you can end with a hung jury. And this is actually something that I saw firsthand. In 2019, I was the foreperson on a jury.

How you like that?

Yeah. And the trial was really complicated, but I had thought while we were doing the trial, oh, this is going to be a really easy decision. I thought the defendant in that case was guilty. So we get into deliberations, but there’s this one juror who keeps gumming up the works every time we seem to be making progress, getting a conversation started.

This juror proverbially throws up his hands and says, I am not convicting. This man is innocent. And we talked and we talked. And as the foreperson, I was trying to use all my skills to mediate.

But any time we made any progress, this guy would blow it up. And long story short, hung jury — big victory for the defense lawyer. And we come out of the room. And she points at this juror. The guy —

The defense lawyer.

The defense lawyer points at this juror who blew everything up. And she said, I knew it. I knew I had my guy.

OK. I don’t want to read too much into what you said about that one juror. But should I read between the lines to think that if there’s a hung jury, you wonder if it might be that juror?

That’s what everyone in the courtroom is wondering not just about this juror, but about every single person who was selected. Is this the person who swings the case for me? Is this the person who swings the case against me?

These juries are so complex. It’s 12 people who don’t know each other at the start of the trial and, by the end of the trial, have seen each other every morning and are experiencing the same things, but are not allowed to have talked about the case until deliberations start. In that moment when deliberations start —

You’re going to learn a whole lot about each other.

That’s right. There’s this alchemical moment where suddenly, it all matters. Every personality selected matters. And that’s why jury selection is so important. And that’s why these last two days are actually one of the most important parts of this trial.

OK. So by my math, this trial will require five more jurors to get to 12. I know also they’re going to need to be alternates. But from what you’re saying what looked like a really uphill battle to get an impartial jury or a jury that said it could be impartial — and Trump was very doubtful one could be found — has turned out to not be so hard to find.

That’s right. And in fact, we went from thinking, oh, boy, this is going awfully slowly, to the judge himself saying we could be doing opening arguments as soon as Monday morning. And I think that highlights something that’s really fascinating both about this trial and about the jury selection process overall.

One of the things that lawyers have been arguing about is whether or not it’s important to figure out what jurors’ opinions about Donald Trump are. And the prosecution and, I think, the judge have really said, no, that’s not the key issue here. The key issue is not whether or not people have opinions about Donald Trump.

Right. Who doesn’t have an opinion about Donald Trump?

Exactly. They’re going to. Automatically, they’re going to. The question is whether or not they can be fair and impartial. And the seven people we already have seated, and presumably the five people that we’re going to get over the next few days and however many alternates — we expect six — are all going to have answered that question, not I hate Trump; I love Trump, but I can weigh in on the former president’s innocence or guilt, and I can do it as fairly as humanly possible.

Now, Trump is not happy about this. He said after court yesterday, quote, We have a highly conflicted judge, and he’s rushing this trial.” And I think that he is going to see these beats of the system the criminal justice system as it works on him as he is experiencing it as unfair. That is typically how he talks about it and how he views it.

But what he’s getting is what defendants get. This is the system in New York, in the United States. This is its answer to how do you pick a fair jury? Well, you ask people can you be fair? And you put them through this process, and the outcome is 12 people.

And so I think we’re going to see this over and over again in this trial. We’re going to see Trump experience the criminal justice system.

And its routines.

Yeah, openings, witnesses, evidence, closings. He’s going to go through all of it. And I think, at every turn, it makes sense to expect him to say, well, this is not fair. Well, the judge is doing something wrong. Well, the prosecutors are doing something wrong. Well, the jury is doing something wrong.

But at the end of the day, he’s going to be a defendant, and he’s going to sit, mostly silently if his lawyers can make him do that, and watch this process play itself out. So the system is going to try and treat him like any other defendant, even though, of course —

— he’s not. And he is going to fight back like no other defendant would, like no other defendant could. And that tension, him pushing against the criminal justice system as it strives to treat him, as it would anyone else, is going to be a defining quality of this trial.

Well, Jonah, thank you very much. We appreciate it.

Of course. Thanks so much for having me. [MUSIC PLAYING]

PS, have you ever fallen asleep in a trial?

I have not.

[CHUCKLES]:

Here’s what else you need to know today.

It’s clear the Israelis are making a decision to act. We hope they do so in a way that does as little to escalate this as possible and in a way that, as I said —

During a visit to Jerusalem on Wednesday, Britain’s foreign Secretary left little doubt that Israel would retaliate against Iran for last weekend’s aerial attack, despite pressure from the United States and Britain to stand down. The question now is what form that retaliation will take? “The Times” reports that Israel is weighing several options, including a direct strike on Iran, a cyber attack, or targeted assassinations. And —

Look, history judges us for what we do. This is a critical time right now, critical time on the world stage.

In a plan that could threaten his job, Republican House Speaker Mike Johnson will put a series of foreign aid bills up for a vote this weekend. The bills, especially for aid to Ukraine, are strongly opposed by far-right House Republicans, at least two of whom have threatened to try to oust Johnson over the plan.

I can make a selfish decision and do something that’s different, but I’m doing here what I believe to be the right thing. I think providing lethal aid to Ukraine right now is critically important. I really do. I really — [MUSIC PLAYING]

Today’s episode was produced by Rikki Novetsky, Will Reid, Lynsea Garrison, and Rob Zubko. It was edited by Paige Cowett, contains original music by Marion Lozano, Elisheba Ittoop, and Dan Powell, and was engineered by Chris Wood. Our theme music is by Jim Brunberg and Ben Landsverk of Wonderly Lake.

That’s it for “The Daily.” I’m Michael Barbaro. See you tomorrow.

• April 19, 2024   •   30:42 The Supreme Court Takes Up Homelessness
• April 18, 2024   •   30:07 The Opening Days of Trump’s First Criminal Trial
• April 17, 2024   •   24:52 Are ‘Forever Chemicals’ a Forever Problem?
• April 16, 2024   •   29:29 A.I.’s Original Sin
• April 15, 2024   •   24:07 Iran’s Unprecedented Attack on Israel
• April 14, 2024   •   46:17 The Sunday Read: ‘What I Saw Working at The National Enquirer During Donald Trump’s Rise’
• April 12, 2024   •   34:23 How One Family Lost $900,000 in a Timeshare Scam
• April 11, 2024   •   28:39 The Staggering Success of Trump’s Trial Delay Tactics
• April 10, 2024   •   22:49 Trump’s Abortion Dilemma
• April 9, 2024   •   30:48 How Tesla Planted the Seeds for Its Own Potential Downfall
• April 8, 2024   •   30:28 The Eclipse Chaser
• April 7, 2024 The Sunday Read: ‘What Deathbed Visions Teach Us About Living’

Hosted by Michael Barbaro

Featuring Jonah E. Bromwich

Produced by Rikki Novetsky ,  Will Reid ,  Lynsea Garrison and Rob Szypko

Edited by Paige Cowett

Original music by Dan Powell ,  Marion Lozano and Elisheba Ittoop

Engineered by Chris Wood

Listen and follow The Daily Apple Podcasts | Spotify | Amazon Music

Political and legal history are being made in a Lower Manhattan courtroom as Donald J. Trump becomes the first former U.S. president to undergo a criminal trial.

Jonah Bromwich, who covers criminal justice in New York, explains what happened during the opening days of the trial, which is tied to Mr. Trump’s role in a hush-money payment to a porn star.

On today’s episode

Jonah E. Bromwich , who covers criminal justice in New York for The New York Times.

Background reading

Here’s a recap of the courtroom proceedings so far.

Mr. Trump’s trial enters its third day with seven jurors chosen.

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The Daily is made by Rachel Quester, Lynsea Garrison, Clare Toeniskoetter, Paige Cowett, Michael Simon Johnson, Brad Fisher, Chris Wood, Jessica Cheung, Stella Tan, Alexandra Leigh Young, Lisa Chow, Eric Krupke, Marc Georges, Luke Vander Ploeg, M.J. Davis Lin, Dan Powell, Sydney Harper, Mike Benoist, Liz O. Baylen, Asthaa Chaturvedi, Rachelle Bonja, Diana Nguyen, Marion Lozano, Corey Schreppel, Rob Szypko, Elisheba Ittoop, Mooj Zadie, Patricia Willens, Rowan Niemisto, Jody Becker, Rikki Novetsky, John Ketchum, Nina Feldman, Will Reid, Carlos Prieto, Ben Calhoun, Susan Lee, Lexie Diao, Mary Wilson, Alex Stern, Dan Farrell, Sophia Lanman, Shannon Lin, Diane Wong, Devon Taylor, Alyssa Moxley, Summer Thomad, Olivia Natt, Daniel Ramirez and Brendan Klinkenberg.

Our theme music is by Jim Brunberg and Ben Landsverk of Wonderly. Special thanks to Sam Dolnick, Paula Szuchman, Lisa Tobin, Larissa Anderson, Julia Simon, Sofia Milan, Mahima Chablani, Elizabeth Davis-Moorer, Jeffrey Miranda, Renan Borelli, Maddy Masiello, Isabella Anderson and Nina Lassam.

Jonah E. Bromwich covers criminal justice in New York, with a focus on the Manhattan district attorney’s office and state criminal courts in Manhattan. More about Jonah E. Bromwich

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