Town Hall MeetingsStructure:

• PTA organizations arrange for notification of parents within districts of event

• Meetings consist of local law representatives, Myspace Safety Expert, local media reporter who covers education beat, representative from school district, and Congressional representative as panel

• After opening remarks and presentation, floor opens to parents to ask questions

• Workshops available to help parents set up myspace accounts

Rationale• Parents will be more receptive to

correspondence from the PTA than from News Corp. conglomerate.

• Gives it a local angle for local news to cover. Also provides opportunity for elected officials to reach out to the public (particularly in wake of Foley scandal). Allows for local journalists to promote their works

• Allows for interaction • Both removes stigma from

technology they may not be familiar with and introduces a new group of users to the site. Also provides opportunity to monitor their own children.

Sample District

New Jersey’s 3rdIncludes such wealthy suburbs as Cinnamonson, influential suburbs like Cherry Hill, and massive towns like Toms River

Town Hall Planned two months in advance for The

Poland Spring Arena at the Ritacco Center (capacity 1500)

• Mailing and support provided for PTA organizations of each public school in the district in order to alert parents of children from grades 6-12 of the upcoming town hall.

• Arrange for local representatives to sit on panel. Includes Sheriff William Polhemus, Superintendent of Schools Dr. Bruce Greenfield, Myspace’s Safety Czar, Rep. Jim Saxton and local Asbury Park Press Reporter Gretchen C. Van Benthuysen, whose ongoing series Day in the Life of Local High Schools is widely read.

• Simultaneously produce webcast for those who can’t make meeting

Reaching out to local media

• Pitch to Gretchen C. Van Benthuysen, Editor of the Whatever section of Asbury Park Press and head of the Day in the Life: series about local High Schools

• Statewide: Have myspace safety czar appear on Jim Gearhart’s (Desparately attempting to rationalize why New Jersey is in a hand basket and where it's going!) New Jersey 101.5 morning show

• Angle: Perfect match for her continuing coverage of local high schools and newsworthy community events

• Myspace safety czar will be able to promote series of town halls for all of New Jersey’s 13 Districts, explaining the agenda and purpose of the meetings