Summary Of Speech By Clare Boothe Luce

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Clare Boothe Luce, an American journalist and politician, delivered a speech in 1960 to the Women’s National Press Club in front of the American press to criticize journalists for the misinformation they publish in order to challenge them to start publishing the truth rather than writing what the public wants to hear. Luce appeals to the audience of journalists using her role as a politician, comparison, and emphasis to persuade journalists to start writing the truth, no matter how dull, in order for American citizens to truly understand what is going on in today’s society. Throughout the speech, Luce speaks to the audience of journalists about how the information they release shouldn’t be falsified for a myriad of buyers or views. Although …show more content…

In paragraph one, Luce states, “You have asked me to tell you what’s wrong with you – the American press.” Luce claims that although she is not delivering her speech voluntarily, she is expressing her true beliefs because she was asked to do so. She uses credibility to appeal to their sense of integrity; if these journalists are writing about anything but the truth, then they are not considered real journalists. She is aware that although “there is much that is wrong with the American press, there is also much that is right with it.” This form of expression persuades the journalists in the room that they have the power to do what is right, which is to publish the …show more content…

In the written speech, the words italicized such as “me” and “you” make her audience realize that she is speaking directly to them. She uses anaphora when repeating, “It is the effort…” to indicate that telling the truth may require effort, but it is essential to the American public. In paragraph three, Luce states that the articulation of the truth “is the most delicate, hazardous, exacting, and inexact of tasks.” She uses words that are closely related to convey that composing the truth is not as easy as it seems because there are also times when the public audience is not entertained by

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