Although some people might think that it is not possible to succeed as a communication major if one has fear of public speaking, that is not actually true for three reasons. The first group of reasons has to do with the changing nature of the communication major, the second group with technological change, and the third group with the nature of the fear itself.
Communication As A Discipline
In 1997 the leading scholarly organization in the field of communication studies changed its name from the Speech Communication Association to the National Communication Association. This change reflected an increasing diversity in communication studies, moving away from a model emphasizing public speaking to one addressing diverse subfields including:
- business and technical communication
- interpersonal communication
- digital rhetorics
- journalism
- mass media
- communication disorders
Students can specialize in many different fields within the discipline. For example, a student interested in journalism might focus on writing for print and digital media, fields that require no expertise in public speaking, rather than broadcast journalism. Business and technical communication are also fields that rarely require public speaking.
Technological Change
The discipline of communication studies can trace its history back to ancient rhetoric, the study of public speaking that originated in classical Greece. In this period, literacy was a new invention. Very few people could read or write in antiquity. This meant that the focus of ancient rhetoric was the study of public speaking. Even written texts were intended to be read aloud rather than read privately and silently. The technologies of communication have evolved considerably over the past two millennia. Literacy has become close to universal in developed nations and digital media are becoming ubiquitous. Although some fields such as politics still require public speaking, in many other careers skill in using social media is far more important than standing up and giving a talk in front of a live audience.
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The Nature of Fear
Stage fright is perfectly natural. Although some people may be comfortable standing up and speaking in front of a live audience, many others find the situation uncomfortable or scary. Often when people say they dislike public speaking they mean that they are frightened by it. The key to overcoming this fear is developing confidence through practice. Introductory courses in speaking are designed to help students build basic skills to overcome these fears. Even students who have no desire to make a career of public speaking can benefit from learning how to manage a five-minute presentation. Increasingly, though, it is also possible to focus on technologically mediated speech, in which one produces videos rather than speaking live, as digital speeches can reach far wider audiences than ones given in front of a live audience.
Public Speaking and the Communication Major
Students who have a fear of public speaking have several options for a major in communication studies. They can choose a specific path through the major that focuses on other forms of communication. They can avoid public speaking by taking any required courses that involve speaking in an online format. Finally, they can overcome their fears by taking introductory courses designed for the specific purpose of helping people overcome such fears.