THE ART OF POLITICAL SPEECH (Theories)

YOUTH POLITICAL LEADERSHIP ACADEMY THE ART OF POLITICAL SPEECH (Theories) By Dr NDAHIRO Alfred Kigali, December 2011 1

INTRODUCTION TO POLITICAL COMMUNICATION A. THEORY General Introduction A politician without communication skills is like a preacher without a bible! Communication can enhance democratic principles and development generally; it can also serve as vehicle for propagating violence (our own case here in Rwanda). In the Rwandan context, all political activity and communication that accompanies it should consider our unique history, and culture. This is not tantamount to censorship! Most political communication is designed to inform. In many cases, however, it is used to manipulate or motivate for political ends. What is Communication? Communication is commonly defined as "the imparting or interchange of thoughts, opinions, or information by speech, writing, or signs". Communication is normally seen as a two-way process in which there is an exchange and progression of thoughts, feelings, or ideas towards a mutually accepted goal or direction (information).. All forms of communication require a sender, a message, and a receiver. There are auditory means, such as speech, song, and tone of voice, and there are nonverbal means, such as body language, sign language, touch, eye contact, and writing. 2

Communication is a learned skill. Most people are born with the physical ability to talk, but we must learn to speak well and communicate effectively. Speaking, listening, and our ability to understand verbal and nonverbal meanings are skills we develop in various ways. We learn basic communication skills by observing other people and modeling our behaviors based on what we see. We also are taught some communication skills directly through education, and by practicing those skills and having them evaluated. What is Political Communication? Political communication is a field of communications that is concerned with politics. Communication often influences political decisions and vice versa because of the impact it can have on the audience and the wider public. Why is Communication Important? Oral communication has long been our main method for communicating with one another. It is estimated that 75% of a person s day is spent communicating in some way. A majority of your communication time may be spent speaking and listening, while a minority of that time is spent reading and writing. These communication actions reflect skills which foster personal, academic, and professional success. The National Communication Association collected and annotated nearly 100 articles, commentaries, and publications, which call attention to the importance of the study of communication in contemporary society. The Wall Street Journal reported the findings of a survey of 480 companies that found that employers ranked communication abilities first among the desirable personal qualities of future employees (1998). 3

In a report on fastest growing careers, the U.S. Department of Labor states that communication skills will be in demand across occupations well into the next century. In a national survey of 1000 human resource managers, oral communication skills are identified as valuable for both obtaining employment and successful job performance. Executives with Fortune 500 companies indicate that college students need better communication skills, as well as the ability to work in teams and with people from diverse backgrounds. When 1000 faculty members from a cross section of disciplines were asked to identify basic competencies for every college graduate, skills in communicating topped the list. Even an economics professor states that,... we are living in a communications revolution comparable to the invention of printing... In an age of increasing talk, it s wiser talk we need most. Why Is Public Speaking Important? Oral communication is one of the most important business and life skills we can have. Everyone is a public speaker. Any time we speak in public, we are public speakers. Mastery of public speaking will empower numerous other skills, abilities and personal enhancements will be the result. Public speaking is not just standing on a podium behind a lectern and speaking into a microphone to an audience. Public speaking includes speaking at meetings, with potential clients, colleagues, and customers. If you learn and master public speaking, you will be ahead of the competition. Anyone who has mastered public speaking skills will prosper. It will set them apart from others in the same field. If you are job hunting (which most people will several times in their life time), you will be a better candidate for prospective employers. 4

Public Speaking: a Single Act, a Double Benefit The benefits of public speaking can be divided into two groups. The benefits to the listening audience and the benefits to the speaker. Why is Public Speaking Important for Motivation and Persuasion? Throughout life we will have to motivate and persuade, especially as aspiring politicians. Learning mastery of public speaking will help you to better persuade. It will help you to learn how to improve your ability to motivate. These skills will help you to make a good impression on others. Effective Public Speakers Make Effective Leaders To be an effective leader requires the ability to communicate and inspire. Remember what we said above: A politician/leader without advanced communication skills is like a preacher without a bible. In conclusion, if you master the three pillars of great public speaking you can rise to any occasion. The three pillars are: What You Say How You Say It How You Present Yourself COMMUNICATIVE DYNAMISM (CD) Factors affecting communicative dynamism: Audience (what do they already know? What questions do they want to be answered?) Context (verbal: cf. Repetition, and situational cf. amarenga) Word Order (information acquires importance as you move towards the end of a sentence) 5

Interactivity in communication What is the difference between the following sentences? I went to Butare yesterday Yesterday I went to Butare INFORMATION PACKAGING Information packaging is more important than grammar i.e. you can work out the meaning of sentences even if the grammar is wrong but you cannot work out the meaning of sentences if information packing is aberrant. Given/Old and New information Given/Old information is what the message we want to communicate hinges on cf. the two sentences above New information is the message we want to communicate cf. The two sentences above Everything we say or write has both Given/Old and New information. If you found a note at a door that said OUT, what message would you get? Why is not necessary to write a complete sentence? Think about telephone messages. How do you write them? Do you write in complete sentences? What are the bits you take down and the ones you leave out? 6

Consider the following notes from someone who took a telephone message: Joseph; Butare; 11am; meeting tomorrow; can t attend; wife in hospital; expecting baby; talk later. Look at the following quote and consider what was said above. Which words and phrases can you leave out without making the text incomprehensible? a) The greatest want of the world is the want of men men who will not be bought or sold, men who in their inmost souls are true and honest, men who do not fear to call sin by its right name, and men who will stand for the right though the heavens fall. E.G White Look at the following text also and tell me what you think about it. Does it read well? If no, why? What was the greatest invention of our time? I think the greatest invention was the telephone. Alexandra Bell invented the telephone. Communication has become a lot easier with the telephone. In fact, the way we communicate has been greatly enhanced by the telephone. Communication is so important in life. At one time only people who had money could use the telephone. Nowadays more and more people have a telephone in their houses. On nearly every street corner, there are telephone boxes. Card phones, dial phones, and press button phones also exist. Difference between spoken and written communication Exercise 1: What do you consider to be the difference between the following texts? Text 1 Now almost all societies have marriage, but there are wide variations in marriage systems. I will give three of the important areas of variation, and some details of each area. The three areas I shall deal with are: firstly, the number of mates each marriage partner may have; secondly the locality 7

of the marriage (that is, where do the newly married partners set up home?); and thirdly, what arrangements there are for the transfer of wealth after the marriage. Let me deal with each of these in turn. Firstly how many mates? In existing human societies there are three possibilities. Most societies recognise POLYGYNY, or the right of a man to take more than one wife. In a few societies (not in Africa) there is POLYANDRY, in which a woman is married to two or more men at the same time. Finally, especially in Europe and societies of European origin, there is MONOGAMY. Monogamy limits one man to one wife and viceversa. Text 2 As has been suggested above, the term Third World may have outlived its usefulness. Its use may in fact serve to perpetuate the dependence of lower- income countries on imports from the industrialised world. Advanced technology may be incompatible with the internal realities of those countries, leading to disruptive effects on local lifestyles and the environment. For example, large-scale energy installations may make little sense in predominantly rural societies in which energy from the sun or wind can be harnessed relatively cheaply in the form of small, solar-powered devices or wind pumps. 1. PRINCIPLES OF POLITICAL SPEECH Usually better Talk Stand Move Vary pitch of voice Speak loudly and clearly looking towards the audience Usually worse Read Sit Stand still Speak in a monotone Mumble, look down. Make eye contact with the audience Stare at feet, ceiling etc 8

Focus on main points Keep to time Rehearse Give a summary Notice and respond to audience s needs Get lost in the detail Run over Don t practice Don t provide a conclusion Ignore audience Communicating our message to others Some information is best sent visually Information is best sent in an organised format Feedback from the receiver is vital Language must be appropriate An overview is a good point to start from Don t underestimate the influence of culture Voice think variety Vary the volume (can everyone hear me?) Vary the speed Vary your pitch Pause after major ideas to give emphasis Enunciate words carefully 9

How messages are communicated 7% 55% 38% Verbal - the words we use Vocal - the way we say the words Visual - gestures, movements, facial expressions Types of speeches An Informative Speech Informative speech to a speaker with advanced skills is more than just giving an informational speech. It is more than just sharing information. It is meeting the needs of the audience. A speech, just like any physical building or structure, needs a foundation to build it upon. In the case of public speaking, the informative speech foundation consists of three interests. The audience, the material you re speaking about, and your purpose in sharing the information. The knowledge of these three creates the basis for how you will present the information. 10

The Audience Who is your audience? What are the averages ages. What are the backgrounds of the audience? Are they management or workers? Are they self employed or employees? What keeps them awake at night? Each of these groups has different knowledge and interest levels. The speech needs to be given on the level of the majority of those attending and in harmony with the purpose of the talk. If you re a Medical Doctor, the way you will talk to and reach a room full of doctors and nurses will be different than how you will speak to a room filled with family of patients. The Material What is your theme? Do you have a lot of statistics? Do you have a lot of information? Are you giving a history? Note One of the most important aspect of the informative speech foundation is the theme. The theme seems to be the most often neglected aspect of giving a speech. It is important to have one, know what it is and keep the speech focused on it. A historical perspective to a room full of historians can be very deep and detailed. Given to an audience of blue collar workers may need to be less focused and more entertaining and or motivational. Doctors and nurses, whether they like them or not, are often spoken to about statistics in the lectures they hear. To most people, they are often hard to understand and boring. To make them more interesting, use illustrations or stories to make them understandable. Example Fifty percent of all households have a computer. Although an easy concept for most, how would you illustrate 11

the statement? It could be illustrated by saying, That means wherever you go in the USA, every other house has a computer in it. In conclusion, remember the following: o o o o o What is your purpose to inform, to educate to train? What can or should they do with this information? How will they benefit? What s in it for them? Why should they be interested? Motivational Speech Motivation is the reason for action or behavior or behaving in a particular way. Some would describe motivation as the why. The art of motivational speech requires the use of words to bring about change in behaviors, attitudes and feelings. Reaching audiences on different levels, these words are the catalyst for change. It should be noted that motivational speech does work but not for everyone and not all the time. What are the various factors involved in this type of public speaking? Consider Martin Luther King Jr s I have a dream speech I am happy to join with you today in what will go down in history as the greatest demonstration for freedom in the history of our nation. Five score years ago, a great American, in whose symbolic shadow we stand today, signed the Emancipation Proclamation. This momentous decree came as a great beacon light of hope to millions of Negro slaves who had been seared in the flames of withering injustice. It came as a joyous daybreak to end the long night of their captivity. But one hundred years later, the Negro still is not free. One hundred years later, the life of the Negro is still sadly crippled by the manacles of segregation and the chains of discrimination. One hundred years later, the Negro lives on a lonely island of poverty in the midst of a vast ocean of material prosperity. One hundred years later, the Negro is still languished in the corners of American society and finds himself an exile in his own land. And so we've come here today to dramatize a shameful condition. In a sense we've come to our nation's capital to cash a check. When the architects of our republic wrote the magnificent words of the Constitution and the Declaration of Independence, they were signing a promissory note to which every American was to fall heir. This note was a promise that all men, yes, black men as well as white men, would be guaranteed the "unalienable Rights" of "Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness." It is obvious today that America has 12

defaulted on this promissory note, insofar as her citizens of color are concerned. Instead of honoring this sacred obligation, America has given the Negro people a bad check, a check which has come back marked "insufficient funds." But we refuse to believe that the bank of justice is bankrupt. We refuse to believe that there are insufficient funds in the great vaults of opportunity of this nation. And so, we've come to cash this check, a check that will give us upon demand the riches of freedom and the security of justice. We have also come to this hallowed spot to remind America of the fierce urgency of Now. This is no time to engage in the luxury of cooling off or to take the tranquilizing drug of gradualism. Now is the time to make real the promises of democracy. Now is the time to rise from the dark and desolate valley of segregation to the sunlit path of racial justice. Now is the time to lift our nation from the quicksands of racial injustice to the solid rock of brotherhood. Now is the time to make justice a reality for all of God's children. (continues) An argumentative speech An argumentative speech is intended to convince the listeners that your ideas are valid or that they have more validity than somebody else's ideas. Typically, this is done through either your credibility, emotional persuasion or through logic. There are many different ways of using speech in order to persuade an individual or group to feel as you do. Whenever a speaker is skilled at doing this, they can control a room and guide it in any direction that they want it to go. Persuading your audience through credibility is a way of convincing them of your argument because you have validity on a personal level in their eyes. That is what is necessary for you to obtain if you're going to effectively use this style of speech. Once you establish yourself as someone that is credible in their eyes, it will be easy to persuade them to feel as you do. Emotional persuasion is simply a way of appealing to somebody's emotions in order to convince them of your argument. Many argumentative speech topics are able to be given in a persuasive manner by the use of pathos, simply because it is easy to appeal to somebody's emotions throughout your speech. This is especially true if it is on a topic in which emotions tend to run high. There are several different ways in which you can persuade someone through logic but one of the most effective is by developing a coherent speech that moves logically through the subject. If you keep your audience in mind and develop a good argument, they will be able to follow it to its natural conclusion. 13

What to look for in a political speech The way a speaker dresses Eye contact Stance, tone, pace and gestures Involvement of the audience Rhetorical questions Humour Quotes and their sources Is a politician expected to be right all the time? The art of Political Damage Control SCHEMATIC STRUCTURE OF A TYPICAL POLITICAL SPEECH Salutation Recognition Make the audience feel good (It is good to be here; this is part of the country I have always wanted to visit, murakeye, muri beza, muri Intore) If necessary, empathise with the audience (I admire your patience, mwakoze kwihangana mugategereza muri iri zuba/muri iyi mvura) Enumerate the points you want to develop Go through the points one by one Conclude POLITICAL INTERVIEW A political interview should benefit both the interviewer and the interviewee. The interviewer/journalist is seeking information to publish/broadcast; the interviewee has a message to convey that is in line with his/her objectives or those of the organization he/she represents. 14

Before you grant an interview, bear in mind the following essentials: The subject matter and how it relates to the message you would like to deliver. Where and when it will be published/broadcast. How long the interview will last. The characteristics of the interviewer and the medium he/she will use (hostile/friendly, too probing, too aggressive etc. cf. Hard Talk). The audience/readership of the media outlet used. If on the radio or TV, will the interview be broadcast live? Will the whole interview be published/broadcast in whole or just extracts? Remember: Everything you say is official and other people will quote you. Be concise; do not submerge important points into unnecessary and superfluous details. Give simple, short answers and to the point. Only use images that people will understand. If proof is used to substantiate what you are saying, use precise facts, statistics, examples, anecdotes, and citations. People remember best what touches them directly and other people s experiences. 15

Never think that facts speak for themselves. That is why you need to explain you answers in a simple and succinct manner. Your readers/ listeners may not be as well informed as yourself. If you give inaccurate information, correct it as soon as possible after the interview. Always keep a positive attitude. If a negative question is put to you, try to redirect the question to the message you would like to deliver. Use the following transition phrases; The real question is Allow me to add that It is important to stress that The most important point to bear in mind is that With regard to that, people often ask me if That point is related to a much bigger question and that is Yes, but remember that It is too early to deal with that question. All the facts are not yet known. What I can say for now is that Allow me to put things in perspective That reminds me of I am happy that you ask me that question. Some people have wrongly come up with that idea. The truth of the matter is that 16

Always show that you are in control! Once Henry Kissinger said to journalists: Do you have questions to my answers? Never say: I have nothing to say about that subject! You could rather say: I am not in a position to talk about that subject today, Or: It would be inappropriate for me to answer that question at this point in time. THE ART OF DEBATING What is a political debate? Don't Debate the Player, Debate the Claim Five keys to successful political debate 1) Always respect your opponent 2) Find common ground, and stake a claim on it 3) Concede well-reasoned points 4) Don't confuse passion with hatred 5) Sometimes, the best debating technique is not to debate at all Where not to debate: a) The workplace b) A date c) Weddings, funerals, and other public events. d) The classroom. 17

Hints and Tips for Effective Public Speaking Here are just a few hints, public speaking tips and techniques to help you develop your skills and become far more effective as a public speaker. Mistakes Humour Tell stories Mistakes are all right. Recovering from mistakes makes you appear more human. Good recovery puts your audience at ease - they identify with you more. Tell jokes if you're good at telling jokes. If you aren't good, best to leave the jokes behind. There's nothing worse than a punch line that has no punch. Gentle humour is good in place of jokes. Self-deprecation is good, but try not to lay it on too thick. Stories make you a real person not just a deliverer of information. Use personal experiences to bring your material to life. No matter how dry your material is, you can always find a way to humanise it. How to use the public speaking environment Try not to get stuck in one place. Use all the space that's available to you. Move around. One way to do this is to leave your notes in one place and move to another. If your space is confined (say a meeting room or even presenting at a table) use stronger body language to convey your message. Technology Speak to your audience not your slides. Your slides are there to support you not the other way around. Ideally, slides should be graphics and not words (people read faster than they hear and will be impatient for you to get to the next point). If all the technology on offer fails, it's still you they've come to hear. You can learn to enjoy public speaking and become far more 18

effective at standing in front of a group of people and delivering a potent message. When it comes to improving your public speaking skills we have three words: practise, practise, practise! More tips 1. Deep breathing will pull in oxygen. Adrenalin, secreted to help you deal with the fear brought on by little doubts, causes breaths to become shallow, or causes you to hold your breath. Deep breathing will help your brain work to capacity, and forcing the slower pace will quell the panic. 2. Bluff. Stand tall, with shoulders back and chest out. Smile. Even though you don t feel happy or confident, do it anyway. You will look confident and your body will fool your brain into thinking it is confident. This really works!! Bluff body and smile 3. Keep your mouth and throat hydrated. Plan to keep a drink on hand while you are speaking., though this sounds impossible. Visualising how you will use it if you need it, and calling up the audacity to do such a thing will carry across to your attitude as you take your place to speak, placing your glass just where you need it to be. 4. Adrenalin sends the blood rushing to the fight/flight centres of your brain at the base of the skull. Place your hand on your forehead and press gently on the bony points. This will bring the blood to the parts of the brain that need it to present your speech best. 5. Know you are prepared. Obviously this depends on actually being prepared, so take every opportunity in the days leading up to the speech to prepare your material. Be familiar with the structure of the presentation, and the ideas to use. Memorise the most important parts, and the parts you are frightened of forgetting. I would memorise the opening of the speech and in the moments before presenting it, would reassure myself that I knew that part, and that would lead on to the rest. It worked!! 19