How to Find the Published Text of a Public Speech
- 1). Check the official website of the office or organization that the speaker represents shortly after the speech is given, as many offices post transcripts of speeches from their members almost immediately after its conclusion. The White House, for example, posts transcripts of nearly all of the public speeches from the President on a daily basis on its official website.
- 2). Consult the websites of newspapers, television and radio networks that covered the speech. Look for networks such as CNN and NPR to post a text version of an important speech on their websites and newspapers that will print a transcript in their paper. Search for older speeches in the archives of these sources by typing in the name of the speaker or the subject of the speech.
- 3). Search through the archives of an organization that works with rhetoric and speeches such as the American Rhetoric Online Speech Bank. Find other groups, including nonprofits, that archive famous speeches in print and video and audio recordings.
- 4). Look through the library or online catalogs of your local college or university. Ask a librarian if the library has an archive of speeches online or in print, including books that are dedicated to the speeches of individual speakers such as Martin Luther King, Jr.
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