Everyone is afraid of ghosts

I think speechwriters are waiting for people to finally understand what they do—and realize that this is an entirely honorable and ethical and useful profession. They have been waiting a …

School scribes swept up in university spending controversy

As the cost of a college education rises, university costs are being scrutinized. And whenever bureaucracies are criticized, the leader’s speechwriter is the easiest symbol of excess. University speechwriters, look …

White House speechwriting story too geeky to believe

The following is from Vital Speeches editor David Murray's highly unprofessional and journalistically suspect live blog of the State of the Union Address, on his personal blog Writing Boots. —DM …

Speechwriter, write

Those of us who like Americana or alt-country music—country music with rock sensibilities—can be obsessive and last year, boy, were we. All through 2015, the golden boy of Americana, Ryan …

Speechwriting: It’s a process

Veteran Spectra Energy exec comms chief Lucinda Trew recently had to update all the company’s communications “processes.” Before getting serious about the speechwriting process, she got funny about the speechwriting …

Rhetorical pink slime

You can see it for yourself on the video at bottom: The handsome young CEO takes the stage at an employee town hall meeting to introduce the company's new mission. …