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Overview
Key Speeches is an additional program in the Public Statements that provides an additional resource for users, through an exercise of critical thinking by staff and interns. The purpose of the Key Speeches program is to provide users with a subset of the public statements in our database that highlights high-profile and substantive statements by major public figures that users might be most interested in reading. Each speech, selected on the basis of strict, nonpartisan criteria, is summarized and quoted. It is hoped that these speeches will be displayed on a designated "Key Speeches" area of the website for easy user access.
Process of Key Speech Selection
- Throughout the week, if Speech staff members or interns come across a public statement that fits the Key Speech criteria, they should enter the pertinent information into the GoogleDocs spreadsheet entitled "Potential Key Speeches".
- Information to be included in the GoogleDoc includes: date of speech, Votesmart link, title of speech, official's/candidate's name, party, office.
- The day of the Research Department meeting, those involved will read the potential key speeches. After the Research Department meeting, the submissions will be discussed and the readers decide whether or not each should be selected as a key speech. Key speeches are selected through voting. Each person in the meeting chooses to vote either in favor of selection as a key speech or against its selection. No participant can abstain from voting. If the voting results in controversy or if people do not feel strongly, the public statement can be "tabled" and addressed again at the next key speeches meeting.
- Once key speeches have been selected for the week, the project manager will assign a staff member or intern to compose a blurb and pick a non-partisan quote from each speech (see the Key Speech Summary and Quote Guide for specific guidelines). Assignment will be on a volunteer basis, with the Key Speech Captains (who are also free to volunteer) covering whatever speeches are leftover.
Automatic Key Speeches
In addition to the key speeches selected through the nomination/voting process. Executive Addresses given by the President and Governors are automatically incorporated into key speeches. Specifically, the State of the Union, Presidential Inauguration speeches, State of the State addresses and Gubernatorial Inauguration speeches.
These key speeches are treated slightly differently in that they do not get normal blurbs because they cannot be summarized effectively in forty words or less. Instead, check the key speech box and type "Executive Address" in the "Speech Summary" field. These speeches also do not include a 'quote' for a similar reason.
Some states do not have State of the State addresses. Sometimes a governor's budget proposal is featured in the way a State of the State address would be. If there is no State of the State but there is a budget address, put this with the automatic key speeches.
What is considered a "Key Speech"?
What is a 'Key Speech':
A Key Speech is an important or interesting speech. While traditionally important statements and speeches should always be taken (e.g. a State of the Union Speech, a Secretary of State's rationale for declaring war) we also strive to find interesting, noteworthy, and possibly overlooked topics to provide engaging material for our users. Think of it as material that would go into a Most Important Events of the Week email as well as a Check Out These Cool Stories You Might Have Missed email.
A Key Speech should also be a speech where the official is the primary speaker/writer of the statement. Key Speeches for the majority can include Speeches, Statements, Tweets, Op-Eds, Letters etc. Press Releases are not included in the Key Speeches program as the majority of the text is not from the official. We also want to avoid taking Key Speeches that include more than 3-4 officials.
Key Speech Criteria:
- Has the topic and/or speech received considerable media attention?
- If not, has the topic perhaps been overlooked by the national media?
- Does this speech portray a clear stance on the issue?
- Is this speech informative and clear for the majority of our users to understand?
- Does the public statement have "rhetorical beauty" (flow, style and direction)?
- Does this speech have the potential to influence policy regarding the topic? (for instance, if the topic is a major salmonella outbreak, a statement from a congressman who sits on the House Armed Services Committee is less desirable than a statement from the chair of the Senate Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition and Forestry)
- Do you think hearing of this issue would be appreciated by the majority of our users?
- Will this speech be relevant in 3 three years, or during the next election cycle?
- Would you appreciate hearing about this issue?
Speeches on historical events can also be selected as key speeches, if they fit these criteria:
- An event that you vividly remembered.
- An event that called for change of national policy or changed national policy.
- An event that caused change in the national mood.
Speeches to Avoid:
- Speeches that focus on an issue with a small scope.
- If it would appear partisan to highlight the highlighted issue don't take it.
- Avoid taking multiple speeches that contain the same information.
- Do not take speeches that are too dense for an average user to understand.
The Key Speech criteria is not a black-and-white system for selective non-partisan voting, but the criteria is more of a guideline for which critical thinking on each Key Speech can be directed. It is more important to avoid inappropriate speeches than to solely select speeches that would fit all criteria.
Always remain non partisan in voting - use only the key speech criteria to inform your opinion and decision.
Responsibilities of the Project Manager
- Read all weekly key speech submissions and be able to articulate reasoning for or against their selection as key speeches.
- Keep all associated GoogleDocs organized and up to date.
- Edit summaries on a weekly basis to ensure they conform with Key Speeches Guidelines.
Intern Participation
Interns are asked during their 5 week evaluation if they are interested in being involved in Key Speech selection. If they are, once an intern proves to be competent and responsible, s/he is offered the option of reading each week's speeches and participating in selection meetings. Interns may also write summaries (up to the discretion of the Key Speech Captains and the Research Director), but they should be thoroughly checked by Key Speech Captains.Summary and Quote Guidelines
Examples of Speeches Selected and Not Selected
