Audience debate
Comm 3263
Debate Activity
Overview:
The class will debate the following resolution: The media has a strong influence on its audiences’ beliefs and
behaviors.
Debaters will divide into two groups—the affirmative and the negative. The affirmative will defend the resolution,
arguing that yes, the media has a strong influence on its audiences’ beliefs and behaviors. The negative will argue
that the media does not strongly influence the audience’s belief and behaviors. The audience will provide a
commentary following the debate that synthesizes the key arguments being made and provides a response as to how
they view the stakes of the debate.
The debate should aim to answer the following questions:
• Does media influence how we think and behave? Are these actually 2 different things?
• Are we self conscious and aware of media’s influence or attempt to influence us? If so, how does that affect
its influence on us?
• Are audiences active or passive in their media viewing?
• How do audiences interpret media texts and what do they do with those interpretations?
• How do we make sense of the audience’s power in relation to the power of the media industry?
• What is at stake in how we understand media’s relationship to its audiences?
*Each of the speaker’s should make their points by drawing on the readings as evidence to support their arguments.
You can use the readings from this section as well as from any part of the class. You should also draw on outside
research to make your points. Debaters should specifically cite their evidence when using it in the debate. Use it as
support and to explain your arguments in depth.
Debate Format:
The debate will consist of 8 speeches with 4 cross-examinations. Each team will also get 10 minutes of preparation
time to use at any point during the debate.
1st Affirmative speech—5 minutes--this speech will set up the context of the debate. You will explain the resolution
and what you think it means. Drawing on the course readings, you will go on to defend why you think the resolution
is correct. Explain how and why you believe the audience is influenced by media. Discuss the potential
consequences to this influence, both harmful and positive. Finally, offer a few points about what you think might be
done to prevent any harmful consequences you think could result from this (solution).
Cross examination by the negative team—3 minutes—The negative will be given time to ask the affirmative
questions about their first speech. You may ask questions for clarification or to prove a point.
1st Negative speech—5 minutes—this speech will establish the negative’s position in opposition to the resolution and
the affirmative’s position. Drawing on the course readings, you should present 3-5 reasons why you think the media
does not strongly influence the audiences’ beliefs and behaviors. You may also want to critique the affirmative’s
assumptions—explain why the assumptions that the affirmative makes about how the media works in relation to its
audiences is flawed. Discuss the consequences to the affirmative’s assumptions—explain why it might be
problematic for them to view audience reception and media effects in this way. Present an alternative way of
understanding how audiences receive and interact with media content. Also, respond to the solutions offered by the
affirmative. You may want to offer your own set of solutions to what you alternatively identify as the problem.
Cross examination by the affirmative team—3 minutes—The affirmative will be given time to ask the negative
questions about their first speech. You may ask questions for clarification or to prove a point.
2nd Affirmative speech—5 minutes—in this speech, the speaker will respond to the 1st negative speech. Draw on the
arguments you made in your first speech as well as the course readings to refute the negative team’s arguments
against your position. Try to respond to each major point they have made.
Cross examination by the negative team—3 minutes
2nd Negative speech—5 minutes—in this speech, the speaker should select 2-3 points from the first negative speech
to elaborate on. After choosing these points, respond to the affirmative’s refutation of your arguments regarding
these points. Refute the logic and argumentation put forth by the affirmative by drawing on the arguments made in
the first negative and explaining your arguments in more depth utilizing course readings.
Cross examination by the affirmative team—3 minutes
Cross examination by the audience—5-10 minutes—questions are opened up to the audience to ask of both the
affirmative and the negative. The audience should use this questioning period to try to get a hold on what are the
crucial arguments in the debate and where each team stands on those important arguments. Each audience member
should have a question ready. Before the question period, the audience may want to consult with each other to
decide what they think are the important questions to ask.
3rd Affirmative speech—5 minutes—Crystallize what you think are the important arguments being made by the
affirmative, as made evident during the cross ex with the audience. Expand and explain these arguments in depth.
Respond to and refute the negative’s arguments against these claims. Focus on depth—really getting to the heart of
the arguments.
3rd Negative speech—5 minutes— Crystallize what you think are the important arguments being made by the
negative, as made evident during the cross ex with the audience. Expand and explain these arguments in depth.
Respond to and refute the affirmative’s arguments against these claims. Focus on depth—really getting to the heart
of the arguments.
4th Affirmative speech—3 minutes--identify what you think are the most significant arguments in the debate.
Explain why you think the affirmative’s position on these arguments is preferable to the negative’s. Discuss why
you think the affirmative position should win the debate. This speech should be more holistic, while the other
speeches should be more specific and engage the other’s arguments on a point by point basis. This speech should
instead try to give more of an overview of what is at stake in the debate and why your position is preferable to the
other team’s.
5th Negative speech—3 minutes-- identify what you think are the most significant arguments in the debate. Explain
why you think the negative’s position on these arguments is preferable to the affirmative’s. Discuss why you think
the negative position should win the debate. This speech should be more holistic, while the other speeches should be
more specific and engage the other’s arguments on a point by point basis. This speech should instead try to give
more of an overview of what is at stake in the debate and why your position is preferable to the other team’s.
Following the debate we will have a class discussion and revisit the questions that the debate aims to answer.
Guidelines & Grading
1. Time limits—please plan to speak within your time limits.
2. Each team member should participate in the construction of the first speech for their side. You should work
as a team throughout the debate preparation and during the debate.
3. Grading—Half of your grade will be a group grade based on the overall performance of the group, and the
other half will be on your individual performance. Your grade will be based largely on your use of research,
analysis of concepts and ideas, refutation of the other team’s arguments, and organization and clarity.