What is another name for a negative audience?

A negative audience is often referred to as a hostile audience. This type of audience is characterized by their skepticism or opposition to the speaker's message or viewpoint. When dealing with a hostile audience, the speaker must be particularly mindful of how to address their concerns and objections in order to win them over or at least gain their respect.

In contrast, a supportive audience generally agrees with or is favorable towards the speaker's topic, which requires a different approach because the speaker can build on existing agreement. Similarly, a neutral audience has no strong feelings either way and may require background information to engage them, while an informed audience possesses prior knowledge on the subject, necessitating a different strategy focused on deepening understanding rather than basic persuasion. The key to working with a hostile audience lies in employing techniques that acknowledge their objections and present a reasoned argument that might lead them to reconsider their stance.