Principles of Informative Speaking

"Human history becomes more and more a race between education and catastrophe." - H. G. Wells
Public speaking texts identify three general purposes: to inform, to persuade, and to entertain, which frequently overlap in practice.
Informative speeches carry a persuasive element by convincing the audience of factual accuracy, and an entertaining element through engaging language, visuals, and illustrations.
The primary intent of an informative speech is to impartially increase listener knowledge rather than asking for action or mind changes.

Informative topics, such as witchcraft, stem cell research, the federal deficit, or hybrid cars, require an objective, fair, and unbiased approach that presents all sides while removing personal opinions and emotions.
Credibility, or ethos, is the audience's perception of a speaker's qualification and preparation.
According to Peterson, Stefan and White, credibility consists of two types:
- The reputation that precedes the speaker before the speech.
- The credibility developed during the course of the speech.
Three primary methods boost credibility: establishing expertise, helping the audience identify with the speaker, and showing truthfulness.

Table 15.1 details three pillars to boost speaker credibility:
- Establish expertise: Cite reputable sources, ensure accurate facts, cover points in detail, and reveal personal expertise.
- Help audience identify: Wear appropriate and attractive clothing, mention shared traits, remain friendly and enthusiastic, and relate to listener situations, feelings, and motives.
- Show truthfulness: Present both sides of an issue, share topic motivation, display open and natural nonverbals, and maintain ethical intentions.
"In the end, you make your reputation and you have your success based upon credibility and being able to provide people who are really hungry for information what they want." - Britt Hume

Informative speeches require up-to-date, reliable, unbiased, and directly relevant source citations to validate personal experiences.
Quality sources can be located via library catalogs or amazon.com and acquired through interlibrary loan.
Speeches should avoid weak sources, such as relying solely on a Google search and using the first five websites that pop up.
Effective speeches explain both how and why something is done.
"The cure for boredom is curiosity. There is no cure for curiosity." - Dorothy Parker

Topic selection should be driven by high personal interest (such as video games, ska reggae music, or time management while working three jobs).
Speakers must answer W I F M ("What's in it for me?") early in the speech by connecting the topic to listener values, attitudes, beliefs, and lifestyle.
Demonstrating immediate application—such as analyzing handwriting samples or editing digital photos on laptops—increases retention and future trial of the information.

Informative speaking aims to increase listener knowledge impartially, versus persuading for action or opinion change.
Informative speeches blend persuasive elements to ensure factual accuracy and engage audiences through language and visuals.
Objectivity is crucial; topics must present unbiased information with no personal opinions.
Credibility, or ethos, affects the audience's perception of the speaker, which can be established pre-speech and during it.
To boost credibility:
- Establish expertise by citing reputable sources, ensuring accuracy, and sharing personal experience.
- Help the audience identify by being relatable and maintaining an approachable demeanor.
- Show truthfulness by presenting multiple sides of an issue and being ethically transparent.
Research and sources must be reliable and relevant, avoiding weak submissions from unreliable internet searches.
Topic selection should stem from personal interest and should connect to the audience's values through the WIIFM approach (What's in it for me?).
Demonstrating practical applications of the topic enhances information retention and encourages audience engagement.