13 min.
“Move Carefully and Discuss Things”: Taking back our Public Square
Over time, our gossiping gave way to storytelling, which specialised into debate, became codified in politics, and institutionalised into media.
The rich tangle of conversation, news gathering, announcement broadcasting, protest, and information exchange flourished in town squares, where citizens came together in a central and open public space. As towns grew and technology progressed, this public square became an anchor of community and democracy, facilitating a shared reality and common experience between its inhabitants. Agoras and forums became plazas and piazzas, inky newspapers became television broadcasts and podcasts, and our collective conversations became ever more complex as it adapted to newer, faster and more sophisticated technology.
Today our public square has fragmented, dominated by powerful online platforms that have placed themselves as the gatekeepers of our public square. Platforms like…
