86 CHAPTER^7 Researching Your Speech in the Digital Age
Native digital news outlets—globally, nationally, and internationally—have taken
journalism to the Internet where trained journalists and editors bring their skills to new
platforms. Currently, 30 major sites such as Vice, BuzzFeed, and Huffington Post exist
alongside more than 400 minor or targeted outlets such as Charlottesville Tomorrow.^21
In addition, more video-only news sources are appearing. One example is Newsy, which
aggregates content from credible news broadcasts around the globe and combines it
into a single piece with links to the original videos.^22 Although various outlets may have
a clear bias, the writers and editors are generally professionals.native digital news news
outlets on the Internet that
hire trained journalists and
editors
Diversity
in praCtiCeinternational and ethnic presses
Foreign news outlets, found both in libraries and online, allow you to gain different
perspectives and to hear voices other than those found in mainstream sources.
Check out World Press Review for original articles and excerpts from international
presses. Also look for diverse perspectives within the United States—such as news
from labor unions, African Americans, gays and lesbians, Catholics, and Muslims,
which all produce news from their perspectives.Opinion Sources
If you want various opinions on issues, look in the editorial section of reputable news
outlets where commentators have been screened for their ability to discuss issues in
an intelligent manner. For example, the Washington Post [online] provides a Columnist
Index, and the New York Times offers a variety of viewpoints on its Opinion Pages
(in hard copy and online sources).
The quality and trustworthiness of other opinion sources is less assured. For
instance, veteran blogger Andrew Sullivan^23 explains that anyone with access to a
computer—expert or not—can log their spontaneous thoughts in writing and post
them on personal weblogs (blogs). This results in instant and global self-publishing.
Because bloggers often respond quickly to breaking events, their risk of error is greater
because they may not get all the facts right or have time to process them thoughtfully.
Furthermore, once the blog is posted, only minor revisions are allowed. Consequently,
their use in academic work is more questionable.
In summary, many materials that were once available only in hard copy are now
available online. Table 7.1 shows the advantages and disadvantages of these kinds of
materials.Take Advantage of Nonprint Sources
Often, nonprint sources such as personal experiences, interviews, and lectures or perfor-
mances can provide excellent information.Personal Experiences
You probably chose your topic because it somehow relates to your interests and experi-
ences, and you can often use personal experiences in your speeches. For subjects such
as demonstrations or how-to speeches, personal expertise is almost essential. Wouldn’t
you think it weird if a speaker, who never took a photograph, described photographyCopyright 2016 Cengage Learning. All Rights Reserved. May not be copied, scanned, or duplicated, in whole or in part. Due to electronic rights, some third party content may be suppressed from the eBook and/or eChapter(s).
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