This book offers an appraisal of oratory, old and new, relating former discourse practice to a specific sub-set of contemporary, digital practices. The author explores the interface between language and society, providing an interdisciplinary study at the crossroads of discourse, linguistics, communication and rhetoric. The comparisons she draws are particularly pertinent in light of the steep rise in presentations given during video-conferences, webinars, and other online events during the COVID-19 pandemic, an event which accelerated previous moves towards digital communication and which is likely to have a long-term impact on communication styles. This book will be of interest to academics and students in fields including discourse analysis, applied linguistics, communication studies, digital studies and business studies.