Federal - Speechwriter
A federal government speechwriter has the responsibility of writing speeches that convey information to the public in an easy to understand and accurate fashion. The speechwriter must say what the official would say if they had written the speech themselves to make it sound authentic and personal. The speechwriter must be careful to avoid putting their own perceptions or understandings into the speech but rather keep it accurate and based on speaker's beliefs. Usually speechwriters tend to work with one or two officials that they know and have the same general phylosophies to make the speech an accurate reflection.
The speechwriter must not only understand what the speaker would say but must also understand what the audience wants to hear. Speechwriters start planning for the speaking engagement by meeting with the organizers of the dinners, event or activity. The speechwriter either sends a standard email inquiry as to the content of the speech or meets in person with the organizers. Most speechwriters work under very short deadlines so they often keep databases and records on the requests of various groups to speed up this process. The speechwriter then completes required research, verifies information in the speech and submits it to the speaker. The speechwriter will then make revisions based on the speaker's preferences or requests.
Most speechwriters will work on several presentations at one time so an ability to work on multiple projects is important. In addition completing work within time frames is essential to providing enough time to review and edit work as required. Some speechwriters may travel as part of the group with the speaker whereas others will stay in contact via email.
Common work activities include:
- Meeting with groups and individuals to discover and discuss the topics required to be covered by the speaker.
- Researching current and relevant information on the topic that is in keeping with the opinion of the speaker.
- Writing a speech that is both informative and fits the personality of the speaker as well as meeting the needs of the audience.
- Revising, editing and modifying speeches as requested using various computer word processing programs. .
- Monitoring deadlines, keeping on schedules and soliciting feedback from both the speaker and the audience as to the effectiveness of the speech.
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