Abstract
This article critiques the expansion of rhetorical studies from a focus on public address to the broader category of public communication. It reviews how rhetorical scholarship has increasingly embraced non-traditional subjects such as films, music, literature, and popular culture, moving away from orality and the analysis of individual speeches. Drawing on a survey of recent issues of the Quarterly Journal of Speech, the discussion finds that most published work concentrated on movements, themes, or philosophical issues rather than close studies of contemporary speakers or specific texts. While acknowledging the intellectual breadth gained by this shift, the article warns that such diversification risks diluting the discipline’s identity, distancing it from its traditional focus, and leaving core areas such as public speaking and debate underrepresented. It concludes by urging a renewed emphasis on conserving the field’s traditions and reinforcing its distinct academic role.
Recommended Citation
Braden, Waldo W.
(1988)
"The Shift from Emphasis in Public Communication in Rhetorical Studies,"
Association for Communication Administration Bulletin: Vol. 66, Article 12.
Available at:
https://stars.library.ucf.edu/aca/vol66/iss1/12
