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May 17, 2005
We Have Experts, but Do They Share?
bht from Portland IMC has posted his reportback from the National Conference for Media Reform. I really appreciate his observation on one panel, which reflects, in many ways, how conference panels tend to run in general:
[The panelists] talked of their successes, and it was so funny, because sitting through the opening of this panel, the first couple of minutes is just listing off the panelists achievements and I felt that it was so unnecessary. This is a personal opinion, but it isnt how much a person has done in their life that makes me beleive them or think that they are good people, it is how accessible and open they are with that knowledge they hold. I saw none of the panelists anywhere but on the panel. That is a continuation of this overall system of beleif that we do not hold in ourselves, each and every one of us, the ability to be successful (in whatever permeation you shoose to define success). The elitism that reflects reinforces in my mind the idea that there are people better than me and why cant us allies all be on a level playing field, why cant we share with each other in a human way?
bht's comments really make me think about this issue again, since I had similar thoughts during the first NCMR in 2003.
I went to several panels then where I could look around the room and see people who I know had at least as much experience, wisdom and expertise on the subject as hand as the folks on the panel in front (and above) us. Too many times I saw panelists reaching to answer questions that they really didn't have a good answer for, where the question could probably have been better answered by more than one person in the audience.
I found this frustrating and expressed as much in my evaluation form at the end of the conference.
Unfortunately, I had this feeling again at the 2005 NCMR, especially in the 2006 Telecomm Act session.
I do think it's valid to say that in some cases some of the panelists have very valuable information and experiences that are not widely known or otherwise shared. It is useful for them to share it with us. However, the simple Q&A after several serial presentations is not really sufficient to create dialogue and move us forward.
I think sessions would be so much more enjoyable and productive if panelists really acted more like facilitators, bringing in information and ideas and then catylizing discussion. I realize that it's a practical problem for sessions with larger audiences, but I also think it's something that can be solved with creativity or just having smaller sessions.
Unforunately, we're still sitting and listening to "experts" tell us what works and what we should do, and I'm not sure that counts as really sharing.
Posted by paul at May 17, 2005 04:33 PM