Speechwriter
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Aspeechwriteris a person who is hired to prepare and writespeechesthat will be delivered by another person. Speechwriters are employed by many senior-level elected officials and executives in the government and private sectors. They can also be employed to write for weddings and other social occasions.
Skills and training[edit]
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A speechwriter typically works at the highest levels of government or businesses and directly with political leaders or executives to determine the points, themes, positions, or messages that should be included in a speech, and usually to author the speech itself. Speechwriters need to be able to accept criticism and comments on the different drafts of the speech, and be able to incorporate the proposed changes into the draft. Speechwriters have to be able to work on several different speeches at once, and manage their time so that they can meet demanding deadlines for finishing the speech on time.[1]Speechwriters must also be able to acceptanonymity,because with few exceptions, speechwriters are not officially credited or acknowledged. This aspect creates a dilemma for historians and compilers of speech anthology; namely, when some significant phrase gains popularity such asJohn F. Kennedy's "ask not what your country can do for you, ask what you can do for your country," whether credit be given to Kennedy, to speechwriterTed Sorensen,or to both?
While there is aguildcalled "The UK Speechwriters' Guild" for professional speechwriters, they do not usually have specific training in the area or field for which they are writing speeches. Instead, speechwriters often have a broad understanding of basic economics, political roles, and policy issues, which make them generalists who are able to "translate" complex economic and policy issues into a clear message for the general public. As with many other writing occupations, most speechwriters do not have specific training in their writing craft. Instead, speechwriters often develop their speech writing skills by combining a generalliberal artseducation, such aspolitical science,philosophy,orEnglish literature,with a variety of work experience inpolitics,public administration,journalism,or a related field.
Speechwriting process[edit]
Writing a speech involves several steps. A speechwriter has to meet with the executive and the executive's senior staff to determine the broad framework of points or messages that the executive wants to cover in the speech. Then, the speechwriter does his or her own research on the topic to flesh out this framework with anecdotes and examples. The speechwriter will also consider the audience for the speech, which can range from a town-hall meeting of community leaders to an international leaders' forum. Then the speechwriter blends the points, themes, positions, and messages with his or her own research to create an "informative, original and authentic speech" for the executive.[1]
The speechwriter then presents a draft version of the speech to the executive (or the executive's staff) and makes notes on any revisions or changes that are requested. If the speechwriter is familiar with the topic and the positions and style of the executive, only small changes may be needed. In other cases, the executive may feel that the speech does not have the right tone or flow, and the entire speech may have to be re-drafted. Professional speechwriter Lawrence Bernstein writes:
Some clients have called with six months to spare, others with four hours to go; some want to meet up first, others want coaching afterwards; quite a few did everything by email and we’ve never even spoken.[2]
The delivery of the speech is part of the challenge speechwriters face when crafting the message. Executive speechwriter Anthony Trendl writes:
Speechwriters specialize in a kind of writing that merges marketing, theater, public relations, sales, education and politics all in one presentation.[3]
Notable speechwriters[edit]
Some of the world's most notable political speechwriters include:
Australia[edit]
- Don Watsonwrote for Prime MinisterPaul Keating
Bangladesh[edit]
- Md. Nazrul Islam Chowdhurywrote for Prime MinisterSheikh Hasina
Chile[edit]
- Jaime Guzmánwrote forChileanmilitary dictatorAugusto Pinochet[4][5]
Europe[edit]
- Henri Guainowrote for French PresidentNicolas Sarkozy
- Sir Ronald Millarwrote for British Prime MinisterMargaret Thatcher
Nigeria[edit]
- Reuben Abatiwrote for PresidentGoodluck Jonathan
- Olusegun Adeniyiwrote for PresidentUmaru Musa Yar'Adua
- Farooq Kperogiwrote for PresidentOlusegun Obasanjo
United States[edit]
- Michael Antonwrote for PresidentDonald Trump
- Aram Bakshianwrote for PresidentsRichard NixonandGerald Ford
- Samuel Beerwrote for PresidentFranklin D. Roosevelt
- Josef Bergerwrote for PresidentsHarry S. TrumanandLyndon B. Johnson
- Pat Buchananwrote for President Richard Nixon
- Christopher Buckleywrote for PresidentGeorge H. W. Bush
- Andrei Chernywrote for PresidentBill Clinton
- William Doddwrote for PresidentWoodrow Wilson
- Anthony R. Dolanwrote for PresidentRonald Reagan
- Ben T. Elliottwrote for President Ronald Reagan
- George Elseywrote for President Harry Truman
- William B. Ewald Jr.wrote for PresidentDwight Eisenhower
- James Fallowswrote for PresidentJimmy Carter[6]
- Jon Favreauwrote for PresidentBarack Obama
- Andrew Fergusonwrote for President George H. W. Bush
- Charlie Fernwrote for PresidentGeorge W. Bushand for First LadyLaura Bush
- David Frumwrote for President George W. Bush
- Adam Garfinklewrote for President George W. Bush
- David Gergenwrote for President Richard Nixon
- Michael Gersonwrote for President George W. Bush
- George Gilderwrote for President Richard Nixon
- Richard N. Goodwinwrote for presidentsJohn F. Kennedyand Lyndon B. Johnson
- Josh Gottheimerwrote for President Bill Clinton
- Historians believeAlexander Hamiltonmay have written speeches for PresidentGeorge Washington[7]
- Bob Hardestywrote for President Lyndon B. Johnson
- Jeffrey Hartwrote for President Richard Nixon
- Robert T. Hartmannwrote for President Gerald Ford
- Ken Hechlerwrote for President Harry Truman
- Hendrik Hertzbergwrote for President Jimmy Carter
- Emmet John Hugheswrote for President Dwight D. Eisenhower
- David Humphreyswrote for President George Washington
- Sarah Hurwitzwrote for President Barack Obama
- Michael Johnswrote for President George H. W. Bush
- Hugh S. Johnsonwrote for President Franklin D. Roosevelt
- Mark Katzwrote for President Bill Clinton
- Ken Khachigianwrote for Presidents Richard Nixon and Ronald Reagan
- Arthur Larsonwrote for President Dwight Eisenhower
- Matt Latimerwrote for President George W. Bush
- Henry Lee IVwrote for PresidentAndrew Jackson
- David Littwrote for President Barack Obama
- Jon Lovettwrote for President Barack Obama
- Chris Matthewswrote for President Jimmy Carter
- William McGurnwrote for President George W. Bush
- John McLaughlinwrote for President Richard Nixon
- Harry J. Middletonwrote for President Lyndon B. Johnson
- Stephen Millerwrote for President Donald Trump
- Raymond Moleywrote for President Franklin D. Roosevelt
- Malcolm Mooswrote for President Dwight Eisenhower
- Peggy Noonanwrote for presidents Ronald Reagan and George H. W. Bush
- Jay Nordlingerwrote for President George W. Bush
- Robert Orbenwrote for President Gerald Ford
- Mark Palmerwrote for President Ronald Reagan
- Landon Parvinwrote for Presidents Ronald Reagan, George H. W. Bush and George W. Bush
- John Podhoretzwrote for Presidents Ronald Reagan and George H. W. Bush
- Ray Pricewrote for Presidents Richard Nixon and Gerald Ford
- Aneesh Ramanwrote for President Barack Obama
- Katherine Rebackwrote for President Bill Clinton
- Peter Robinsonwrote for Presidents Ronald Reagan and George H. W. Bush
- Samuel Rosenmanwrote for Presidents Franklin D. Roosevelt and Harry S. Truman
- William Safirewrote for President Richard Nixon
- Arthur M. Schlesinger Jr.wrote for President John F. Kennedy
- Matthew Scullywrote for President George W. Bush
- Walter Shapirowrote for President Jimmy Carter
- Michael A. Sheehanwrote for President Bill Clinton
- Robert E. Sherwoodwrote for President Franklin D. Roosevelt
- Jeff Shesolwrote for President Bill Clinton
- David Shipleywrote for President Bill Clinton
- Raymond Sillerwrote for presidents Richard Nixon, Ronald Reagan, George H. W. Bush, and George W. Bush
- Curt Smithwrote for President George H. W. Bush
- Tony Snowwrote for President George H. W. Bush
- Ted Sorensenwrote for President John F. Kennedy
- Ben Steinwrote for President Richard Nixon
- Marc Thiessenwrote for President George W. Bush
- Michael Waldmanwrote for President Bill Clinton
- Orson Welleswrote for President Franklin D. Roosevelt
- Judson T. Welliver,considered the first official presidential speechwriter in the modern sense of the occupation, wrote for PresidentWarren G. Harding[8]andCalvin Coolidge
- Mari Maseng Willwrote for President Ronald Reagan
Fictional speechwriters[edit]
Some fictional speechwriters include:
- James Hobert (played byAlexander Chaplin), speechwriter for the fictionalMayor of New York CityRandall Winston onSpin City
- Toby Ziegler(played byRichard Schiff),Sam Seaborn(played byRob Lowe), andWill Bailey(played byJoshua Malina), all of whom were speechwriters for theBartlet administrationonThe West Wing
References[edit]
- ^ab"Speechwriter - Federal Government Job Profile".Archived fromthe originalon 2009-01-23.Retrieved2008-12-14.
- ^Bernstein, Lawrence."Great Speech Writing".
- ^Trendl, Anthony."Speechwriter Value".
- ^Carlos Huneus (3 April 2001)."Jaime Guzmán no fue un defensor de los Derechos Humanos en el Régimen de Pinochet"(PDF).Archivo Chile.
- ^"Discurso de Chacarillas (1978)"(PDF).bicentenariochile.cl.Archived fromthe original(PDF)on 2020-01-22.Retrieved2021-06-25.
- ^Pilkington, Ed (2009-01-20)."Obama inauguration: Words of history... crafted by 27-year-old in Starbucks".The Guardian.London.Retrieved2010-05-23.
- ^Franklin, Benjamin; Madison, James; Washington, George; Adams, John; Leland, John; Hamilton, Alexander (June 4, 1998)."Religion and the Federal Government, Part 1 - Religion and the Founding of the American Republic | Exhibitions (Library of Congress)".loc.gov.
- ^Catherine Donaldson-Evans (May 12, 2005)."Different Writer, Same President".Fox News Channel.Retrieved2009-06-12.
External links[edit]
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