2016 District 12 Election

2016 District 12 Election

County Board Accomplishments with Heuer Leadership

Difference between a "Town Hall Meeting" and "Listening Session"

Someone needs to explain the difference between a "Town Hall Meeting" and a "Listening Session to Karen Ebert Yancey, the reporter who writes for the Kewaunee Star, a Gannett Publication.

Karen Ebert Yancey was informed that the Governor's visit to Kewaunee on Thursday, Jan 14th was a listening session, not a Town Hall meeting.  Yet, when she reported this story, she put a negative slant on the report as she often does, that not only implied, but stated the meeting was a Town Hall meeting with these word directly from her Jan 20th article in the Star News -- "Approximately 40 Kewaunee County residents were invited to the "town hall" meeting with the governor, including five students from Kewaunee High School.  Walker said that one of the goals of the meeting was to talk to as diverse a group of citizens as possible."

You have to ask yourself, why would Ms. Yancey put this slant on the "Listening Session" that was set up by the Governor's office?  My only conclusion is that she was trying to stir the pot to get people worked up as to why a group of 40 people were invited to what she chose to describe as a Town Hall meeting.  That brings me to the definitions of those meeting types:

Listening Session - A meeting held with a defined number of invited participants to specifically discuss a topic or topics chosen by the facilitator.

Town Hall Meeting - is an American term given to an informal public meeting, function or event derived from the traditional town meetings of New England.  A Town Hall meeting is open to the public and those in attendance generally present ideas, voice opinions and ask questions of public officials.

Read my Jan 14th description of Governor Walker's listening session where I explain the questions the Governor asked the participants to comment upon.