Our government was designed, in part, based on the geometrical principle that, in two-dimensional space, a triangle is perhaps the strongest conceivable shape.

But what happens when a formidable force is exerted on a triangular system, like our executive-legislative-judicial setup, from outside its two-dimensional plane? This is what appears to be occurring as certain types of media influence proliferate. But to protect the integrity of the intended system, is the only answer to turn back the clock?

Galileo once proved that structure does not scale. As one learns in architecture school, the Square-Cube law dictates that as the size of a structure is increased, its supports need to grow exponentially in order to prevent system failure. If one considers how a triangular system (kind of like a sail) relates to an outsize out-of-plane pull, it may warp and then tilt, resulting in a tensile stress and then, in a failure mode, a compressive one. Historically, one could argue, journalism has worked beautifully in a relationship of tension with government. But if, in the scenario that seems to be taking place, as the largely advertisement-sponsored fourth estate grows and threatens to fail in compression, wouldn’t the remedy be a fifth force to help stabilize all the others?

An entity type distinct from, but supportive of, both government and media

Much has been written recently about (1) the lack of a mediated sounding board, in which individual stakeholders are invested, to facilitate discussion of pressing social and environmental challenges, (2) individuals and philanthropic organizations desiring to give (and governments looking to save) large amounts of money to support this type of problem-solving, and (3) the financial difficulty of uncoupling sensationalism and public access in journalism.

With a great supply of information, ideas and finances readily available to help meet very clearly great needs, could the current problem be conceivable, at least in part, as a design challenge?

Complementing the traditional advertising agency model with a listening agency model

If, as in the diagram drawn below, those who currently feel voiceless or helpless, or who feel they have a lot at stake in the distant future, are able to invest attention and problem-solving ideas as individuals, could there possibly be a reduction in some challenges that journalistic outlets need to cover and that need to be solved in the first place?

If we, in the past, have moved from a sort of lottery culture to more of a divide-and-conquer contest culture, could an idea endorsement investment model that emphasizes nurturing and listening over domination and advertising be a step toward a more progressive future?