Louisiana State University LSU Digital Commons LSU Historical Dissertations and Theses Graduate School 1974 The pS eech Theory and Criticism of James B. Reston. Bennie Gilchriest Coates Louisiana State University and Agricultural & Mechanical College Follow this and additional works at: https://digitalcommons.lsu.edu/gradschool_disstheses Recommended Citation Coates, Bennie Gilchriest, "The peS ech Theory and Criticism of James B. Reston." (1974). LSU Historical Dissertations and Theses. 2658. https://digitalcommons.lsu.edu/gradschool_disstheses/2658 This Dissertation is brought to you for free and open access by the Graduate School at LSU Digital Commons. It has been accepted for inclusion in LSU Historical Dissertations and Theses by an authorized administrator of LSU Digital Commons. For more information, please contact [email protected]. INFORMATION TO USERS This material was produced from a microfilm copy of the original document. 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Xerox University Microfilms 300 North Zeeb Road Ann Arbor, Michigan 48106 75-1919 COATES, Bennie Gilchriest, 1940- THE SPEECH THEORY AND CRITICISM OF JAMES B. RESTON. The Louisiana State University and Agricultural and Mechanical College, Ph.D., 1974 Speech Xerox University Microfilms, Ann Arbor, Michigan 48106 THIS DISSERTATION HAS BEEN MICROFILMED EXACTLY AS RECEIVED. THE SPEECH THEORY AND CRITICISM OF JAMES B. RESTON A Dissertation Submitted to the Graduate Faculty of the Louisiana State University and Agricultural and Mechanical College in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy m The Department of Speech by Bennie Gilchriest Coates B .S ., Lamar State University, 1959 M .A., Texas Technological College, 1964 August, 1974 ACKNOWLEDGMENTS The writer is deeply indebted to Dr. Owen Peterson for his direction of this dissertation and to James Reston for access to his private papers. Sincere appreciation is also extended to the members of her family, whose assistance and encouragement made this study possible. TABLE OF CONTENTS Page ACKNOWLEDGMENTS...................................................................................................ii ABSTRACT . ...................................................................................... v Chapter I. INTRODUCTION ................................................... 1 Purpose of the Study Plan of the Study Sources II. EDUCATION, CAREER, AND SPEAKING EXPERIENCE 7 Early Life C aree r Sources and Activities Aiding Preparation Public Speaking III. SPEECH THEORY ................................................... 79 Speech in a Democracy Speaker's Image Logical Appeal Emotional Appeal Delivery Speech Situation Audience Effectiveness Speech Education IV. ANALYSES OF PRESIDENTIAL SPEECHES ...........................156 Dwight Eisenhower John F. Kennedy Lyndon B . Johnson Inaugural Speeches V. ANALYSES OF PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDA TES' SPEECHES ................................................................ Ethical A ppeal Speech Preparation Delivery- Logical Appeal Emotional Appeal Speech Situation Audience VI. CONCLUSION .......................................................................................... 316 BIBLIOGRAPHY .......................................................................................................322 APPENDIX ................................................................................................................33 8 VITA ................................................................................................................................362 iv. ABSTRACT Since 1953 to the present, James B. Reston, reputedly one of the most influential journalists of the twentieth century, has frequently analyzed the speaking of government o fficials in the New York Times. The purpose of this study was to describe and analyze Reston*s speech theory and criticism and to determine the quality of the service in this area which he performs for the public. Characteristics contributing to Reston's competence for c ritic a l inquiry were established by discussing his education, journalistic career, and speaking experience. Reston1s ideas on speech related top­ ics were compiled and evaluated, for although explicit statements on oratory abound in his writing and public speaking, he has never system­ atically written a theory of speech. Because the office of the Presi­ dency was a focal point of interest to Reston, the quality of his speech criticism was ascertained by examining his evaluations of the Presidential addresses of Eisenhower, Kennedy, and Johnson as well as his criticism of the Democratic and Republican presidential candidates' speaking during the campaigns from 1956 through 1968. Research revealed Reston to be in tellig en t, industrious, knowledge­ able, and possessing a strong sense of purpose and intense moral passion. Above a ll he appeared as a man of integrity who viewed his job as a journa­ list with a profound sense of responsibility. From self-concern, obser- v vation, and experience, he developed a credible theory of speech and commendably applied it in his criticism of political speaking. As a speech critic he has fulfilled a vital role by urging the improvement of the art of speaking by constantly holding in view its potential for millions of readers. Furthermore his speech theory and its application is valuable because it endorsed and encouraged the application of many of the precepts of both classical and modern educators. Reston's theory of speech emanated from a desire to preserve democracy and was based on the belief that rhetoric functioned as both a political and ethical instrument. Ethical appeal was designated as the predominant mode of proof, for Reston felt that determining character was the most difficult and important judgment facing the citizenry. In his criticism, he focused particularly on a speaker's ability to instill trust, his integrity, and his courage. The prevailing state of disunity and mistrust in the nation was directly related to national leaders' defi­ ciencies in this area. Reston scrupulously evaluated the worth and significance of speakers' ideas on the basis of timeliness, scope, and relevance. He denounced speak­ ers for exchanging sound analysis and evidence for the immediate advantages sometimes gained by exploitation of emotions. According to Reston, the debasement of the in trin sic merit of emotional appeal often produced nation­ al discord, pessimism, and distraction from primary issues. A speaker was further expected to possess the sense of duty and initiative to educate the public and carry out proposed programs. He attempted to show the relation­ ship between responses to speakers and their ability to determine and adapt vi to audience sentiment. The significance of the relationship between the speaker's strategy and the influence of the social setting was provided by reconstructing the scene in which the speaker operated. Audiences were held responsible to exercise their authority judi­ ciously as final judges in the speech situation. Although Reston expressed faith in people's resourcefulness, he often underscored their shortcomings. Reston advocated training in public speaking and continuous study to fa c ilita te ab ility to communicate. Reston's goal as a journalist was to enlighten and help the readers reach a judgment on the facts. His consideration of p o litical speaking appeared to grow out of his concern to assess the quality of leadership in this country and to keep in focus the great issues and thought of the time. v ii CHAPTER I INTRODUCTION Washington, D. C. is the center of diffusion of political news in the United States. The twelve hundred members of the Washington press corps have been described as a de facto, quasiofficial