Key Insight #1
Today, people constantly receive information presented as facts from various sources. However, the reality is that much of this information is not truly credible. Many people are aware of this fact, so they may approach much of the information they are presented with caution and skepticism. This leaves it up to the communicator to establish credibility and build rapport and trust with their audience. To resolve this dilemma, communicators have used Greek philosopher Aristotle’s idea of ethos for centuries to establish credibility with their audience.
Above is an image of the some of the Scholar Recruitment Student Advisory Committee members at our meeting in the fall of 2023
While taking SPCH 145: Online Public Communication in the fall of 2023, I learned how communicators can use Aristotle’s three elements of ethos–competence, values, and community to establish credibility. I was able to incorporate this theory while developing compelling speeches and an informative podcast episode that I would present to my peers. In my first speech, I advocated for my audience to support children in the foster care system at Epworth Children’s Home. Next, I conducted an interview in a podcast episode to provide my audience with more information on how to develop photography as a hobby. Please play the video below to see my live policy discussion. Finally, I had a live policy discussion with my peers during which I advocated that when the South Carolina state government passes the appropriations acts, they should include a greater allocation of funds to underprivileged K-12 public schools, especially along the “Corridor of Shame” in South Carolina. Please see the video below to watch my presentation.
The assignments leading up to each speech or podcast I present helped me feel more prepared to develop a compelling and informative presentation. Specifically, I felt more prepared to include ethos. Before each presentation, my professor allowed us to practice each assignment so that our peers could provide feedback. Then, before each final speech or recording, my professor gave us a worksheet to reflect on and ensure that our final product would include ethos. I also analyzed the speeches of public figures who demonstrated ethos to their vast audiences. In answering questions that called on me to examine the specific ways these public figures demonstrated ethos, I felt more prepared to apply the three elements of ethos to my own presentations. To establish my competence, values, and sense of community to the audience of each speech, I frequently referenced my experience related to the subject, based my arguments upon faced, used personal anecdotes, and quoted and interviewed credible sources.
At the start of this course, I believed the information I obtained would only apply to speeches, debates, and online communication. However, I soon found myself incorporating this theory when facilitating discussions in my Scholar Recruitment Student Advisory Committee in the fall of 2023.
In the year prior to this experience, the fall of 2022, I founded the Scholar Recruitment Student Advisory Committee (SRSAC) through my position with Undergraduate Admissions. Part of the reason why I founded this committee is because I am interested in discovering ways to make higher education more accessible to everyone, regardless of their background. The second half of my motivation came from the knowledge that the Scholar Recruitment team was revising how they approach recruitment. So, this committee’s purpose is to add current students’ perspectives on several aspects of the Carolina Elite recruitment process. In each meeting, the committee of ten students from diverse backgrounds use their experiences as SCHC students and Top Scholars to give feedback on initiatives the Scholar Recruitment team is currently doing and possible areas for improvement. Additionally, each student was nominated by a South Carolina Honors College (SCHC) staff member. While conducting the first two meetings was successful, I believe that my newfound knowledge of Aristotle’s three elements of ethos made the third committee meeting even more successful and changed how I viewed leadership.
The theme of the Fall 2023 SRSAC meeting was “Revamping the Rubric.” We delved into the Honors College Review Rubric, brainstorming ideas on how the Scholar Recruitment Team could make it more inclusive and genuinely reflective of the SCHC student experience. One of the three elements of ethos is competence, which Aristotle deemed “practical wisdom.” Competence is not only knowing what to do but also being able to do it successfully. As a focus group leader, I believe that displaying competence is crucial. This can be achieved by being prepared and knowledgeable about the subject of the discussion. For all SRSAC meetings, I meticulously prepared the agenda and discussion questions, gathered copies of the relevant material, catered to the members’ dietary restrictions, booked a meeting place, and more. However, in this meeting, I was able to further develop my competence by preparing to facilitate a discussion on a topic new to me. I had several meetings with my supervisors to learn more about the current contents of the SCHC rubric and the application review process. This level of preparation can assure team members that you are a competent leader. The following is a copy of the itinerary and discussion questions I created for the committee members.
Scholar Recruitment Student Advisory Committee Fall 2023 Meeting Agenda
It is essential to communicate your values to your audience or team members. Terminal values tend to be strong for most people because they are what people consider innately good, such as happiness or freedom. You can click here to learn more about terminal values. The Scholar Recruitment Student Advisory Committee members accepted the nomination and applied to be a part of this committee because they value making the scholar recruitment process more inclusive. So, my role as the discussion leader was to not only establish to the committee how revising the Honors College rubric ties into our goal but also to develop discussion questions that connect back to their values of inclusivity and progress.
​ Finally, another way to develop ethos is by building a community with the people you are trying to reach. In my case, I wanted to ensure that the members of this relatively small committee felt comfortable enough with me and each other so that they could provide their authentic ideas. I first established this by doing icebreaker games over food. In SPCH 145, I also learned that it is important to inform your audience of your purpose to build a sense of community. So, after icebreakers and light-hearted conversations, I went into the committee’s purpose, the meeting’s purpose, and how the two are interrelated. These members are highly involved students with extremely busy schedules. So, every aspect of these meetings has a purpose, and I never want the members to feel otherwise.
Before taking SPCH 145, I believed that “ethos” only applied to developing persuasive arguments. However, after learning more about Aristotle’s theory that there are three elements of ethos, I came to the realization that the application of ethos is not limited to arguments. Now, I see ethos in communications of various forms–from news articles to course lectures. I have also
been able to apply this concept outside of the committee. Before any public speaking or leadership role I undertake, I refer to the three elements of ethos. I believe that learning to implement Aristotle’s three elements of ethos will help me achieve my goal of becoming a successful law student and, eventually, an impactful attorney. It is essential for law students and attorneys to know how to develop compelling arguments. However, it is even more important to know how to demonstrate one’s credibility to one’s
audience. In demonstrating the three elements of ethos, a law student or attorney could enhance their credibility and thereby elevate their arguments. Overall, I believe that the three elements of ethos and my experience implementing this theory in my committee meeting will help me to achieve my career goals.