Bringing balance to the force: public listening in civic education

Abstract

ABSTRACT This article calls for an emphasis on public listening within civic education as a means of confronting and reversing negative trends in American public discourse. After providing a working definition of public listening, I offer the perspective that communication educators and Communication Education scholars are in a unique position to lead the way towards a rebalancing of our public discourse. While a traditional public speaking course may not be the most effective way to develop public listening skills, this article points to semester-length courses and workshop-based learning as two possible avenues for increased emphasis on public listening.