First, I don't have the skills you guys have when it comes to clever subject lines, so I apologize if the title is imprecise.
Second, I attend many speeches/discussions that include Q&A sessions with the audience. I don't disagree with much of what you said. But here's something interesting that I immediately noticed during the pandemic when the events I used to attend are now online. I like to challenge speakers when I disagree with them. I guess the topic I do most of the challenging on is school choice (I believe that there are exceptions, but most students belong in public schools. I'm particularly opposed to public financing of any type of religious indoctrination education.) In person, I'd often get called on and get to ask my question. Now, however, the questions I submit online never get chosen. Amusing, but also somewhat annoying. So, while I agree that there are benefits for those in charge to being able to pick and choose, it can be a nonrandom process. On Fri, May 21, 2021 at 5:12 PM PGage <[email protected]> wrote: > Right, unless the producers fed people the questions, I would not call > that fake. > > I used to organize Town Hall like sessions at the organization I worked > for with visiting big whigs (one was with a pre-politicized Dr. Ben > Carson). Originally we just put up two Mic stands and had people queue up > to ask their questions. You only have to do this a few times to realize > that inevitably you get three or four questions on the same topic (people > actually say things like “I know this question was already asked, but I > wanted to ask it again with just a very small modification”). Also, there > will always be people who are too nervous or quiet or impossible to > understand, and also some who over embrace the performative opportunity, > and take 3 Minutes (a long time in the circumstance) to make a mini-speech > before asking their question. > > We found it much better, and easier, to ask people to submit questions in > writing and then select a good variety that could be asked from the podium > quickly. The moderator had the authority to ask follow up questions as > appropriate. > > On Fri, 21 May 2021 at 12:40 PM Kevin M. <[email protected]> wrote: > >> Fake might be too strong a word. I’d go with pre-screened. Expecting >> genuinely random questions from a handful of audience members to be a fair >> representation of the populace at large is… well… look at TV ratings, >> determined by a few thousand people. So they pre-screen to ensure a diverse >> and useful set of questions, and to ensure the people asking questions can >> comport themselves at the microphone. Otherwise, you get conspiracy >> theorists and “babba booey!” >> >> On Fri, May 21, 2021 at 11:28 AM Doug Eastick <[email protected]> wrote: >> >>> Thanks Melissa. I kind of always assumed they are highly staged. >>> And I guess that's why I don't watch them much. >>> >>> But I did happen to catch the last 25 mins of Lawrence last night, where >>> he followed up on a vax-hesitant guy -- and they got jabbed live on MSNBC >>> at Walmart last night. So that was staged too. I do, however, believe >>> that he *was* hesitant, and the bigger story is how he changed his mind. >>> Kudos to his mom for joining in and getting jabbed too. >>> >>> >>> >>> On Fri, May 21, 2021 at 1:48 PM Melissa P <[email protected]> >>> wrote: >>> >>>> I was able to attend the MSNBC town hall last week, held at Northern >>>> Virginia Community College, Alexandria (where Dr. Jill Biden has taught for >>>> several years). >>>> >>>> Televised town halls are completely staged. It makes perfect sense, of >>>> course, when every minute of an hour of TV must be planned in advance. I'm >>>> sure everyone here already knew it, but I can at least provide first-hand >>>> confirmation. >>>> >>>> For example, I was not given an opportunity to ask a question. As we >>>> were being signed in, those given blue wrist bands had been pre-selected to >>>> ask a question, I later discovered. I was given a red wristband. >>>> >>>> None of us knew what the blue bands meant until the show started. In >>>> fact, a non-picked person was on his way to the mic when he was shooed back >>>> to his seat! >>>> >>>> I did get to say something to Lawrence O'Donnell afterward. When I >>>> told him that I loved *Mr. Sterling* and mentioned the similarity >>>> between Senator Sterling and Senator Manchin, he said: "I love hearing >>>> that!" >>>> >>>> It was also cool to hear President Biden, in the pre-taped interview >>>> that was shown before the town hall, talk about the data I used to help >>>> produce. >>>> >>>> -- >>>> You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google >>>> Groups "TVorNotTV" group. >>>> To unsubscribe from this group and stop receiving emails from it, send >>>> an email to [email protected]. >>>> To view this discussion on the web visit >>>> https://groups.google.com/d/msgid/tvornottv/CA%2B_fQPz3PeTZNa80VevaG27ayHcFDypAJNsNP60NqvbBrakknw%40mail.gmail.com >>>> <https://groups.google.com/d/msgid/tvornottv/CA%2B_fQPz3PeTZNa80VevaG27ayHcFDypAJNsNP60NqvbBrakknw%40mail.gmail.com?utm_medium=email&utm_source=footer> >>>> . >>>> >>> >>> >>> -- >>> Doug Eastick <[email protected]> >>> >>> -- >>> You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google >>> Groups "TVorNotTV" group. >>> To unsubscribe from this group and stop receiving emails from it, send >>> an email to [email protected]. >>> To view this discussion on the web visit >>> https://groups.google.com/d/msgid/tvornottv/CAK5Q1BoG-nvre0WxG4HoQvLPJdQJjVO0vMnWFgd%2BA0VGMLZ4HA%40mail.gmail.com >>> <https://groups.google.com/d/msgid/tvornottv/CAK5Q1BoG-nvre0WxG4HoQvLPJdQJjVO0vMnWFgd%2BA0VGMLZ4HA%40mail.gmail.com?utm_medium=email&utm_source=footer> >>> . >>> >> -- >> Kevin M. 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