Marshall McLuhan's observation "the medium is the message" suggests that the form of a message profoundly influences our perception of that information. Over the centuries, each new form of media has altered the public's perception of information in some unique way.
In 15th century Europe, the central information of the age was the Bible, and priests disseminated their interpretation of that source orally to the public of that era. The invention of the Gutenberg printing press in 1440 gave rise to the Reformation when this new media allowed that public to directly experience the central details of the Bible for themselves.
The emergence of newspapers in the 16th and 17th centuries provided a greater understanding of political issues to a more informed citizenry, which infused and hastened the start of a new social contract taking shape at that time: Democracy.
Radio, the first mass-market real-time media, allowed millions of people to simultaneously experience the same message - which brought forth an immediacy to news as never before.
Television created a true Global Village where tens of millions of people were drawn to the many different images - including and especially news and political events - where opinions were often shaped for the first time by people seeing events unfold before their eyes.
The Internet's influence on our political culture is growing rapidly in many ways, including fund-raising and the ability to acquire vast amounts of information on virtually any subject. It also provides a near-instant response to news stories, as ideologically competing sources seek to influence the national debate one way or he other.
Unlike most media, the Dialogue Document has not evolved from some new technology. Rather, it is based on an existing media - the advertising supplement - which is declaratory in nature. This common media constitutes a one-way process that generally seeks to sell products, services or investments. Through the application of a set of rules and terms that is designed to create a challenge process between political entities, a new medium is thus created.
In the 21st century, the central information of our age deals with conflicts between societies, where journalists disseminate their interpretation of this news. The Dialogue Document will allow today's citizens to directly experience the central details of disputes between societies for themselves.
Once people around the world understand - at a specific moment in time - the precise negotiating trade-offs necessary to resolve a long-standing conflict, they will exert pressure on their leaders to do what is necessary to bring those adversaries to an agreement.
As leaders/citizens/readers become more aware of Public Talks, there will be a subtle yet growing reaction by individuals to news stories on political conflicts: I will look forward to hearing an equal presentation of both sides of this conflict - in the form of Public Talks - before I really make up my mind on this issue.
Today's highly competitive 24-hour news cycles often reward inflammatory treatment of news. In contrast (once Public Talks are established), knowledge that this process will be unfolding in the near future will encourage a more measured, nuanced and balanced treatment of that conflict within the media - where history, logic and the force of arguments will gain ascendancy.
From Marshall McLuhan's 1967 book, "The Medium is the Massage" (sic): "Societies have always been shaped more by the nature of the media by which men communicate than by the content of the communication." |
