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PROXY DIALOGUE
 As a practical matter, only a tiny fraction of
the population can ever participate in face-to-face
dialogues, so it is important to deploy other
methods of scaling up these conversations to
include a critical mass of citizens. The obvious
place to begin is through the media, which already
reaches into the lives of most citizens on a
daily basis, but rarely if ever engages people
in an active process of working through issues
and tradeoffs.
Proxy Dialogue is an alternative television format
that shifts the focus to two-way dialogue and
engagement. Proxy Dialogue is essentially a crystallized
ChoiceDialogue, specially produced for television,
which gives viewers the opportunity to watch
people like themselves working through issues
about which they are uncertain. Real people working
through real problems and coming to grips with
tradeoffs form the core of any Proxy Dialogue.
Viewers, identifying with some of the participants,
can accomplish some of the working through themselves.
The participants in the televised dialogue, while representative of a wide range of backgrounds and walks of life, are "cast" for their eloquence and ability to engage in the dialogic format. They are still, however, "average citizens" rather
than experts or advocates, struggling through complex issues in much
the same way viewers at home would.
Proxy Dialogue is substantially
different from other issue-oriented programming
because dialogue and finding common ground, not
debate, lies at its core.
Proxy Dialogue videos can be broadcast, used
in conjunction with online surveys, and/or used
in non-broadcast situations with small or large
groups. Combining a variety of media – for
example, a television broadcast, on-line mechanisms
for participation and feedback, and print media
features and reporting – can
be especially effective. These media go beyond
just promoting the television program; they provide
information about the issue choices and a forum
for participants to continue their involvement.
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Listening
to the Californians: Bridging the Disconnect:
Full
Report (PDF, 2.9 Mb)
Executive
Summary (PDF, 400 K)
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Proxy Dialogue
can be tailored to your organization's
needs. Contact:
Vice President
Viewpoint Learning
858-551-2317
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