The Audience, the Message, the Speaker

This brief, core introduction to public speaking combines a concern with classic rhetoric with a strong focus on ethics, diversity, and the latest technology. The Audience, The Message, The Speaker emphasizes the speaker's responsibility to convey succinct, meaningful information that is well organized, reliable, and clearly expressed for the relevant audience.

This brief, core introduction to public speaking combines a concern with classic rhetoric with a strong focus on ethics, diversity, and the latest technology. The Audience, The Message, The Speaker emphasizes the speaker's responsibility to convey succinct, meaningful information that is well organized, reliable, and clearly expressed for the relevant audience.

John (Jack) Hasling earned the title of Professor Emeritus after teaching for 27 years at Foothill College in Los Altos Hills, California. He received his MA in 1963 from Sacramento State University, where he later taught and coached the debate team. He came to Foothill College in 1966 to teach public speaking and serve as faculty advisor for the college radio station. In the years following, he contributed to the speech curriculum by writing and developing courses in group discussion, interpersonal communication, and broadcast journalism. Teaching was his second career, his first being broadcasting. From 1952 to 1961 he worked as an announcer and engineer for several radio stations in northern California. In 1980 he published a book with McGraw-Hill entitled Fundamentals of Radio Broadcasting.

During his years at Foothill College, Jack was actively involved in faculty affairs at the state and local levels. He served as chair of the Improvement of Instruction committee and later as president of the Academic Senate. He is a former member of the Commission on Instruction for the California Association of Community Colleges and is a charter member of the Bay Area Speech Teachers Association. He has served as parliamentarian at conventions of the California State Academic Senate.

Since his retirement Jack has extended his interest in writing to include adult fiction and children’s literature. He has published two novels, both concerning social issues in recent history, and two children’s books. He reads his works to third- and fourth- grade classes and speaks to adult groups on the importance of reading aloud to children.