In the Best Town Halls, Civility and Inquiry Reign

Suddenly, we're town hall nation. Again.

Down goes the news conference. Oh, so stuffy and staged. Up comes the theater-style -- a much better way to get out the message and engage THE PEOPLE.

Health care reform has turbocharged the town hall discussions and, in some ways, cheap ened the potential value of public discourse. The yelling, of course, has attracted the sound-bite attention. Health care is a natural for drama. Big money. Life and death. Lots of risk. The haves and have-nots. Clunky solutions. Good intentions. Questionable possibilities. Perfect for 60 to 90 minutes of questions and answers.

As someone who has moderated public forums, I have an appreciation for this form of community discussion -- as long as it's a civil exchange. Though they can be fun to do, they're not easy work. Afterward, your feet and head hurt, your stomach burns, your ears ring, and sometimes you wonder if you'd "do that again" because of mixed results from encouraging people to make clear points.

With the 25 Public Squares conducted since 2005, we've used different formats depending on the issues. There's the open-mike forum where you ask people to comment on a selected topic. A panel format introduces "expert" commentary on the front end and then audience participation to deepen the knowledge. Debates put the two sides in the middle of the room to delineate the pro and con viewpoints. Welcoming the crowd to pick at the points lets you see who can best think without a script. Another form, which we haven't used, is merely to present information and ask the audience what it thinks. That's public hearing territory.

Based on the Public Square experience, clear patterns tell us what's a perfect recipe for a great town hall and what's a disaster in the making.

First, the five types of town halls you want to participate in:

1. People are genuinely interested in what the other side thinks: This allows an openness that's special. Few interruptions. An honest curiosity exists to hear "what they say." You can see the audience reflecting and, yes, grimacing at times. But it's honest engagement.

2. Attendees seek out new information: A good clue is the number of notebooks in the room. The knowledge-seeking can span the extremes -- knows little about the topic, knows a lot. Unity comes in wanting to know more.

3. Speakers come armed with one super-strong point: The best points are solitary and strong. Confidence comes in dealing the best observation and letting others fill in with other angles and points. Getting a series of speakers who stick to a higher point raises the collective conversation so it's informative and intelligent.

4. There are just as many listeners as there are speakers: Gab-fests are great, but you really soar when a good chunk of the audience models outstanding listening. It's hard, especially when the chairs are uncomfortable. But when people signal they're fine with listening, it says there are two valuable participants in the room. Those who say. And those who receive. It's an exchange.

5. Attendees are willing to alter their viewpoint based on the town hall experience: When this happens, it's heaven. Alter can mean strengthen, too. Getting value out of a public conversation is the fuel for democracy and com munity. It's a behavior that can be contagious leading to more benefits down the road.

Now, here are five town halls to avoid:

1. The audience is purposely stacked in favor of one side: There's always the possibility that one view will swarm the room to show it's the winning team and the other guys are nuts. The entire room figuratively starts to tilt, like a ship in rough seas. The repetition of comments numbs the mind. I've often thought: Why don't you just take out an ad?

2. People know they have only five minutes to speak but they want 50: Watch for the 10 pages of hand-written notes. "And one more point" tries to buy 10 more minutes. Town halls aren't term paper recitals. Long-form commentary is perfect for the Internet. No shortage of space or time there.

3. One side shows up to hate the other side: These can be the toughest to moderate. Hate is a motivator. But it's also a deflator. People cite free-speech rights to say whatever is on their minds. But civility appropriately casts raw attacks and vicious thoughts as outlaws. Don't come, please.

4. "Drive-by" comments clog the lanes: People do notice when someone says something provocative or mean, and then leaves the room after dumping. Those who stay earn more respect. Those who leave pollute.

5. Arguments are measured by how loud someone shouts: Don't confuse town halls with cable TV. But copying bad behavior is inevitable in our cut-and-paste world. Raise the voice to make a key point, sure. But screaming full tilt. No, thank you. Remember: microphones allow people to hear normal voices.

Over the years, town halls have gone through phases, sometimes straying from the original intent of the public exercise. But ultimately, there's a bottom line with format: When the discussion are over, what actually happens next?
Tom Silvestri is president and publisher of the Richmond Times-Dispatch. He can be reached at 804-649-6121 and