Gary C. Woodward is an American author and retired professor. He is a contributor to the field of political communication and has also written on rhetoric and mass communication.[1]

Early life

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Born on the 12th of July, 1946 in Denver, Colorado, he earned degrees in communication and rhetorical theory from California State University at Sacramento and University of Pittsburgh (Ph.D. 1972). He has taught in England and in the United States.[1]

Career

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Woodward held the position of professor emeritus of rhetorical theory at The College of New Jersey. While there, he taught classes in theories of persuasion, argumentation and debate, and the philosophy of communication. He served as the chairperson of the Department of Communication Studies .[2] He helped to pioneer the modern definition of political communication and distinguish the field as separate from political science or mass media.[3]

He is the co-author, along with Robert E. Denton, Jr., of two textbooks: Political Communication in America (first edition 1985, third edition 1999) and Persuasion and Influence in American Life (first edition 1988, eighth edition 2019). These books are widely used in communication courses at the undergraduate and graduate level,[4][5] and cited in academic books and journals.[6] Woodward is also the sole author of several scholarly works on subjects including rhetorical theories, communications philosophy, political media and listening as a means of communication.[7][8]

Woodward's research has been supported by awards from the National Endowment of the Humanities, the John F. Kennedy Presidential Library, the Lyndon B. Johnson Presidential Library, CBS, and C-SPAN.[9] He has published guest columns as an expert on communications topics for the Trenton Times and NJ.com.[10] He has been a member of the National Communication Association, Eastern Communication Association, New Jersey Council for the Humanities, and The Rhetoric Society of America.[11]

Selected works

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Woodward has authored the following:[12]

  • Persuasive Encounters: Case Studies in Constructive Confrontation (1990)
  • Perspectives on American Political Media (1997)
  • Political Communication in America, 3rd edition (with Robert E. Denton, Jr.) (1999)
  • The Idea of Identification (2003)
  • Center Stage: Media and the Staging of American Politics (2007)
  • The Perfect Response: Studies of The Rhetorical Personality (2010)
  • The Rhetoric of Intention in Human Affairs (2013)
  • Persuasion and Influence in American Life, 8th edition (with Robert E. Denton, Jr.) (2019)
  • The Sonic Imperative: Sound in the Age of Screens (2021)

Recognition

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Woodward was a fellow of the US National Endowment for the Humanities in 1980. He served in leadership positions at the National Communication Association and Eastern Communication Association, and has been a speaker and panel chair at their conferences.[13]

When first published in 1986, Political Communication in America was highlighted in American Political Science Review,[14] Presidential Studies Quarterly,[15] Western Political Quarterly,[16] and Journalism and Mass Communication Quarterly.[17] Political Communication in America was selected in 1988 by the Department of Education Office of Educational Research and Improvement as one of 30 important books on "Governmental-Political Communication."[18] It continues to be cited in scholarly work over 35 years later.[19] Persuasion and Influence in American Life was closely examined in a meta-analysis published by Communication Education as an effective textbook for teaching persuasion techniques.[20]

The Idea of Identification (2003) was reviewed by The Southern Communication Journal.[21] The Perfect Response: Studies of The Rhetorical Personality (2010), was reviewed in Mass Communication and Society.[22] The Rhetoric of Intention in Human Affairs (2013) was reviewed by the Kenneth Burke Society.[23] The Sonic Imperative: Sound in the Age of Screens (2021), was highlighted by a presentation to the Sarnoff Collection, a museum dedicated to RCA chairman David Sarnoff's life.[24][25][26]

Personal life

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Woodward lives in Lambertville, New Jersey.[9]

References

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  1. ^ a b "Gary C. Woodward: About the author". Amazon.com. Retrieved 24 March 2024.
  2. ^ "Gary C. Woodward, Ph.D." Department of Communication Studies. The College of New Jersey. Retrieved 2024-01-13.
  3. ^ Ryfe, David Michael (2001). "History and Political Communication: An Introduction". Political Communication. 18 (4): 407–420. doi:10.1080/10584600152647119. S2CID 144953310.
  4. ^ "CMN 456 (05) - Propaganda and Persuasion". UNH Course Search. Retrieved 2024-01-11.
  5. ^ "CMS 332K, THEORIES OF PERSUASION".
  6. ^ "Google Scholar". scholar.google.com. Retrieved 2024-01-13.
  7. ^ ""Gary C. Woodward" – Search Results". search.worldcat.org. WorldCat. Retrieved 2024-01-04.
  8. ^ "Google Scholar". scholar.google.com. Retrieved 2023-12-31.
  9. ^ a b "Gary C. Woodward | The Perfect Response". Retrieved December 19, 2023.
  10. ^ Trenton, Diana Lee Groden/For The Times of (2015-04-18). "Opinion: Humans' false rivalry with machine-based intelligence". nj. Retrieved 2024-01-12.
  11. ^ "Gary C. Woodward, Ph.D." December 19, 2023.
  12. ^ "Gary C. Woodward". Amazon.com. Retrieved 24 March 2024.
  13. ^ "Woodward, Gary C. 1946– | Encyclopedia.com". www.encyclopedia.com. Retrieved 2024-01-11.
  14. ^ Nimmo, Dan; Denton, Robert E. (1986). "Review of Political Communication in America, Robert E. Denton Jr.; When Information Counts: Grading the Media". The American Political Science Review. 80 (4): 1344–1345. doi:10.2307/1960889. JSTOR 1960889. S2CID 147112137.
  15. ^ "Front Matter". Presidential Studies Quarterly. 16 (3). 1986. JSTOR 27550342.
  16. ^ Pfau, Michael; Denton, Robert E. (1989). Woodward, Gary C.; Meyrowitz, Joshua; Orren, Gary R.; Polsby, Nelson W. (eds.). "The Mass Media and American Politics: A Review Essay". The Western Political Quarterly. 42 (1): 173–186. doi:10.2307/448663. JSTOR 448663.
  17. ^ "Book Reviews". Journalism Quarterly. 67 (3): 602–638. September 1990. doi:10.1177/107769909006700316.
  18. ^ Johannesen, Richard L. (March 1988). Responsibility in Governmental-Political Communication: A Selected, Annotated Bibliography (Report). ERIC ED299615.
  19. ^ Bajrami, Demush; Xhemaili, Albrie (December 2020). "Political Communication, Creative Use of Media and the Process of EU Integration of North Macedonia". SEEU Review. 15 (2): 72–85. doi:10.2478/seeur-2020-0018.
  20. ^ Allen, Mike; Preiss, Raymond W. (April 1990). "Using meta-analyses to evaluate curriculum: An examination of selected college textbooks". Communication Education. 39 (2): 103–116. doi:10.1080/03634529009378793.
  21. ^ Allen, Myria Watkins; Strauman, Elena C.; Flannery, Mary Ann; Hup, Chan Sow; Besel, Richard D.; Van Buren, Cassandra; Razee, Alan; Punyanunt-Carter, Narissra; Tindall, Natalie; Plec, Emily (November 2005). "Book reviews". Southern Communication Journal. 70 (4): 346–355. doi:10.1080/10417940509373339.
  22. ^ Prelli, Lawrence J. (January 2012). "Gary C. Woodward. The Perfect Response: Studies in the Rhetorical Personality: Lanham, MD: Lexington, 2010, xii + 199 pp., ISBN No. 0739140000 (hardcover)". Mass Communication and Society. 15 (1): 165–167. doi:10.1080/15205436.2011.634538. S2CID 143135994.
  23. ^ "Review: The Rhetoric of Intention in Human Affairs by Gary Woodward. Reviewed by Raymond Blanton | KB Journal". kbjournal.org. Retrieved 2024-01-12.
  24. ^ "Ewing New Jersey - Sarnoff Collection Opening". ewingnj.org. Retrieved 2024-01-11.
  25. ^ "Off The Presses: The Sonic Imperative". Community News. 2021-08-11. Retrieved 2023-12-31.
  26. ^ "Capturing and Storing Sound: Gary Woodward's insights into technology, commerce, culture, and personal expression | The Sarnoff Collection". Retrieved 2023-12-31.
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