About

The Town Crier is the mouthpiece of The Centre of the Public Square, launched in late 2023 by Peter Lewis, from Essential Media, and Per Capita.

As the name implies, The Centre’s focus is on building platforms for better public discussions about the issues that impact us as citizens.

It starts by calling out how the global digital platforms are distorting public discourses to meet their own exploitative business models in a way that is undermining trust in public institutions and dividing citizens into angry tribes.

But this project goes deeper than pure critique, by piloting new ways to create better civic experiences for citizens who want to engage in their communities and build the countervailing power our system so desperately needs.

These are big ideas. But the focus of the Centre is to break them into simple chunks, experimenting with new models and hypothesis, while casing a critical eye on new technology and government’s policy responses.

Most importantly, we want to make this a fun experience for those who want to be involved – giving you the opportunity to participate in lively but respectful public debates where you feel seen, heard and valued.

The Town Crier will be an anchor for this work, giving you access to the latest events, policy debates and ideas in a fortnightly email.