PUTTING THE “PUBLIC” IN RHETORIC &PUBLIC AFFAIRS ANNA M. YOUNG AND JENNIFER MERCIECA We argue that part of Rhetoric & Public Affairs’ future should center pub- lic-facing scholarship in rhetorical studies. We begin by chronicling some of the work colleagues are doing to bridge expert and lay publics: podcasts, popular and trade press interviews, social media content development and management, and activist engagements. Centering public-facing scholarship creates several notable shifts: (1) it changes the “so what?” for traditional scholarship by inviting scholars to think about audiences outside of journal readership; (2) it opens space for different stylistic conventions in scholarly writing; and (3) it indicates that nonexpert audiences are valuable as read- ers. We note the considerable barriers to entry to public scholarship includ- ing gatekeeping, framing public scholarship for tenure, and training. We contend that Rhetoric & Public Affairs could lead other journals through an updated definition of impact that takes into account contemporary modes ANNA M. (AMY)YOUNG is Professor and Chair of the Department of Communication at Pacific Lutheran University. Her work examines the ways in which public intellectuals and experts can intervene in public problems from democratic participation to food and foodways. She is the author of Prophets, Gurus and Pundits: Rhetorical Styles and Public Engagement (Southern Illinois University Press, 2014) and has published in venues such as Quarterly Journal of Speech, Communication and Critical/Cultural Studies, and Rhetoric Society Quarterly. She spends too much time on Twitter and loves wine. These things may be con- nected. JENNIFER MERCIECA is Professor of Communication at Texas A&M University. The Washington Post called her most recent book, Demagogue for President: The Rhetorical Genius of Donald Trump, “one of the most important political books of this perilous summer.” She is published in venues across the popular press and in more traditional venues like Rhetoric & Public Affairs and Presidential Studies Quarterly. She is a dynamite baker. © 2021 Michigan State University. All rights reserved. Rhetoric & Public Affairs Vol. 24, No. 1-2, 2021, pp. 379–396. ISSN 1094-8392. 379