The Art of Public Speaking —第五单元.docVIP

5.Analyzing the Audience Audience-Centeredness The Psychology Audiences Factors in Audience Analysis Size Physical Setting Demographic Traits Disposition Toward the Topic Disposition Toward the Speaker Disposition Toward the Occasion Getting Information About the Audience Adapting to the Audience Audience Adaptation Before the speech Audience Adaptation During the speecj Audience Adaptation After the speech In the midst of the heated 2008 campaign for the U.S. Democratic presidential nomination, Barack Obama faced one of the biggest challenges of his political career. His former minister, Jeremiah Wright, had made controversial, racially charged comments that circulated widely in the national media. Suddenly, Obama was forced to deal with Wright’s remarks, the issue of race in America, and the future of his presidential campaign. In doing so, he had to address multiple audiences, including the white community, the black community, his supporters, backers of rival Hillary Clinton, undecided voters, and the nation in general. On March 18, 2008, Obama spoke on national television from Philadelphia, the birthplace of the American republic. Well aware of the situation he faced, he crafted a speech that dealt thoughtfully with the concerns of his various audiences while stressing the fundamental unity of the American people. Only by working together, he said, can we “move beyond of our old racial wounds and…continue on the path of a more perfect union.” The speech garnered almost universal praise across the political spectrum. Obama was hailed for his capacity to “lead public opinion” by explaining issues “so both sides can see each other’s point of view.”He pushed the nation “to move beyond race and gender, beyond Democrat and Republican, beyond politics and into reviving the spirit of the nation itself .” It was, by any measure, a striking achievement. Audience-Centeredness Obama’s speech points up an important fact: Good public speakers are audience-c