Dr. Poropat Darrer presented her book "So Help Me God"

On Thursday, December 5, 2024, in the library and reading room of Bogdan Ogrizović in Zagreb, Jagoda Poropat Darrer, PhD, external associate at the University Department of Communication sciences presented her book "So Help Me God". Along with the author, the book was presented by prof. Danijel Labaš, PhD, Head of the University Department of Communication sciences at CUC, associate professor Gabrijela Kišiček, PhD, from the Faculty of Philosophy of the University of Zagreb and Anita Šikić, director of the Croatian University Press. The presentation was moderated by Višnja Poropat Vujnovac.

It is a book in which, in ten chapters, the author presents and analyzes an important topic related to rhetoric and public speaking in general in a detailed and thorough, argumentative and credible manner, placing it from a wider international context into the Croatian context and into the context of public speaking in political communication. In the second place, which also confirms the high and professional relevance of this work, we should highlight the original personal contribution of the author, who conducted research into the presidential speeches of Croatian presidents and discovered how Croatian presidents speak (Franjo Tuđman, Stjepan Mesić, Ivo Josipović and Kolinda Grabar-Kitarović, Zoran Milanović) and with her research actually offered a methodological template for similar research to other authors in the future.

It is a valuable interdisciplinary work in which the author skilfully uses knowledge from different fields such as linguistics and rhetoric, communication and public relations, verbal and non-verbal communication, political science and political communication, and as she points out, "from ancient Greece to today, rhetorical skill ensured success and rise in the social ladder and political power. With regard to their public speaking personality, the presidents of the states can achieve a great reputation and a significant social and political role. Through public appearances, they shape public opinion, create an image of themselves in public, gain and retain the trust of citizens, but also influence social reality", so this work confirms its professional and social relevance by choosing and processing the topic.