New_ Public
@newpublic.org
We’re a nonprofit R&D lab that’s reimagining social media. Join us in building digital public spaces that connect people, embrace pluralism, and build community. newpublic.org
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New_ Public
@newpublic.org
· Dec 1
Introducing Roundabout: a local community web app built to help people live a flourishing life in their local town or neighborhood.
Based on rigorous research and optimized for trust. Built by a nonprofit, for the public.
Find resources, connect with neighbors, celebrate your community.
Based on rigorous research and optimized for trust. Built by a nonprofit, for the public.
Find resources, connect with neighbors, celebrate your community.
We need far more new, independent, and sustainable infrastructure for social media!
Welcome!
Welcome!
Hi Bluesky! We're Modal Foundation, a new nonprofit dedicated to making open social tech viable at scale. We grew out of the @freeourfeeds.com campaign and support @eurosky.social. Our work will connect experts, strategists, builders and communities to create a human-centered internet.
January 12, 2026 at 8:15 PM
We need far more new, independent, and sustainable infrastructure for social media!
Welcome!
Welcome!
Our friends at the @prosocialdesign.bsky.social recently updated the effectiveness of apps for regulating your time spent on social media, like @hankgreen.bsky.social’s Focus Friend, from “tentative” to “convincing” based on new research from Denmark.
www.prosocialdesign.org/library/digi...
www.prosocialdesign.org/library/digi...
January 12, 2026 at 8:11 PM
Our friends at the @prosocialdesign.bsky.social recently updated the effectiveness of apps for regulating your time spent on social media, like @hankgreen.bsky.social’s Focus Friend, from “tentative” to “convincing” based on new research from Denmark.
www.prosocialdesign.org/library/digi...
www.prosocialdesign.org/library/digi...
In the 2010s, too many newsrooms shuttered their comments sections.
But now there’s a mini renaissance happening, according to @benwhitelaw.bsky.social.
He ran the comment section for the Times of London, and learned firsthand about its value (in building community, and revenue!)
But now there’s a mini renaissance happening, according to @benwhitelaw.bsky.social.
He ran the comment section for the Times of London, and learned firsthand about its value (in building community, and revenue!)
💬🗞️ Why newsrooms are taking comments seriously again
Three lessons from running comments at The Times of London
newpublic.substack.com
January 12, 2026 at 3:23 PM
In the 2010s, too many newsrooms shuttered their comments sections.
But now there’s a mini renaissance happening, according to @benwhitelaw.bsky.social.
He ran the comment section for the Times of London, and learned firsthand about its value (in building community, and revenue!)
But now there’s a mini renaissance happening, according to @benwhitelaw.bsky.social.
He ran the comment section for the Times of London, and learned firsthand about its value (in building community, and revenue!)
Reposted by New_ Public
For Ctrl-Alt-Speech, @benwhitelaw.bsky.social and I are putting together a bingo card for 2026 news regarding online speech, content moderation, and internet regulation.
What should we include?
What should we include?
January 8, 2026 at 5:38 PM
For Ctrl-Alt-Speech, @benwhitelaw.bsky.social and I are putting together a bingo card for 2026 news regarding online speech, content moderation, and internet regulation.
What should we include?
What should we include?
Reposted by New_ Public
Big fan of @brihreed.bsky.social's Nieman Lab prediction and the way he unpacks his own changing mindset about social media regulation in the US. Go and read, then fight your way through the other 200+ predictions www.niemanlab.org/2025/12/jour...
Journalists finally break Big Tech’s free-speech spell
"We will realize that tech companies have exploited journalists' greatest weakness: our love of the First Amendment."
www.niemanlab.org
January 9, 2026 at 2:27 PM
Big fan of @brihreed.bsky.social's Nieman Lab prediction and the way he unpacks his own changing mindset about social media regulation in the US. Go and read, then fight your way through the other 200+ predictions www.niemanlab.org/2025/12/jour...
How did Belfast, Cape Town, Rio de Janeiro, and São Paulo double down on social infrastructure? By creating a network of …
👐 Havens
🌉 Hubs and
🛹 Hangouts
What would that look like online?
www.gehlpeople.com/projects/soc...
👐 Havens
🌉 Hubs and
🛹 Hangouts
What would that look like online?
www.gehlpeople.com/projects/soc...
January 9, 2026 at 4:37 PM
How did Belfast, Cape Town, Rio de Janeiro, and São Paulo double down on social infrastructure? By creating a network of …
👐 Havens
🌉 Hubs and
🛹 Hangouts
What would that look like online?
www.gehlpeople.com/projects/soc...
👐 Havens
🌉 Hubs and
🛹 Hangouts
What would that look like online?
www.gehlpeople.com/projects/soc...
To reach a healthy social media ecosystem that serves the public, not billionaires, we’re gonna need a lot of new ideas and tools.
Our friends at @metagov.bsky.social have been funding new governance systems that allow for community agency and value community stewards. More is needed!
Our friends at @metagov.bsky.social have been funding new governance systems that allow for community agency and value community stewards. More is needed!
January 8, 2026 at 7:52 PM
To reach a healthy social media ecosystem that serves the public, not billionaires, we’re gonna need a lot of new ideas and tools.
Our friends at @metagov.bsky.social have been funding new governance systems that allow for community agency and value community stewards. More is needed!
Our friends at @metagov.bsky.social have been funding new governance systems that allow for community agency and value community stewards. More is needed!
Reposted by New_ Public
cool to see other technologists getting excited about what we’re building at @newpublic.org !
Technologist/podcaster @rabble.nz calls Roundabout, our new local community app in closed beta, “the Good Place version of Nextdoor.”
In an interview with Bluesky’s @jay.bsky.team, they talk about how New_ Public is moving from research & critique ➡️ building flourishing digital public spaces.
In an interview with Bluesky’s @jay.bsky.team, they talk about how New_ Public is moving from research & critique ➡️ building flourishing digital public spaces.
January 8, 2026 at 4:19 PM
cool to see other technologists getting excited about what we’re building at @newpublic.org !
While AI chatbots are helpful, writes Daniel Barcay for Center for Humane Technology, the more they know about us, the greater target we become for manipulation.
“And when advertising enters this equation, it seems more likely than not that the con artist will overtake the therapist.”
“And when advertising enters this equation, it seems more likely than not that the con artist will overtake the therapist.”
Advertising is Coming to AI. It’s Going to Be a Disaster.
This piece was published in Tech Policy Press on Nov 27, 2025, and has been republished with permission.
centerforhumanetechnology.substack.com
January 8, 2026 at 4:20 PM
While AI chatbots are helpful, writes Daniel Barcay for Center for Humane Technology, the more they know about us, the greater target we become for manipulation.
“And when advertising enters this equation, it seems more likely than not that the con artist will overtake the therapist.”
“And when advertising enters this equation, it seems more likely than not that the con artist will overtake the therapist.”
Check out the full @revolution.social episode here🎙️ www.youtube.com/watch?v=p0O4...
January 7, 2026 at 4:45 PM
Check out the full @revolution.social episode here🎙️ www.youtube.com/watch?v=p0O4...
Technologist/podcaster @rabble.nz calls Roundabout, our new local community app in closed beta, “the Good Place version of Nextdoor.”
In an interview with Bluesky’s @jay.bsky.team, they talk about how New_ Public is moving from research & critique ➡️ building flourishing digital public spaces.
In an interview with Bluesky’s @jay.bsky.team, they talk about how New_ Public is moving from research & critique ➡️ building flourishing digital public spaces.
January 7, 2026 at 4:41 PM
Technologist/podcaster @rabble.nz calls Roundabout, our new local community app in closed beta, “the Good Place version of Nextdoor.”
In an interview with Bluesky’s @jay.bsky.team, they talk about how New_ Public is moving from research & critique ➡️ building flourishing digital public spaces.
In an interview with Bluesky’s @jay.bsky.team, they talk about how New_ Public is moving from research & critique ➡️ building flourishing digital public spaces.
Finally, brihreed.bsky.social (of S-town fame!) suggests that journalists get real about regulation technology companies.
“It is possible to develop strong accountability mechanisms for tech that do not violate First Amendment rights.”
“It is possible to develop strong accountability mechanisms for tech that do not violate First Amendment rights.”
Journalists finally break Big Tech’s free-speech spell
"We will realize that tech companies have exploited journalists' greatest weakness: our love of the First Amendment."
www.niemanlab.org
January 6, 2026 at 4:41 PM
Finally, brihreed.bsky.social (of S-town fame!) suggests that journalists get real about regulation technology companies.
“It is possible to develop strong accountability mechanisms for tech that do not violate First Amendment rights.”
“It is possible to develop strong accountability mechanisms for tech that do not violate First Amendment rights.”
Friend of New_ Public Jennifer Brandel predicts AI labs will start treating local journalism as an essential piece of their information supply chain, and fund it accordingly.
AI will reinvent local news
"As AI companies move to secure journalism as an input, journalists move to reclaim journalism as a public act."
www.niemanlab.org
January 6, 2026 at 4:41 PM
Friend of New_ Public Jennifer Brandel predicts AI labs will start treating local journalism as an essential piece of their information supply chain, and fund it accordingly.
akoto.bsky.social on why local, mission-focused newsrooms may prove to be more resilient in the face of AI and “Google Zero” traffic collapse.
The year we all algorithm-proof our audiences
"Big Tech was one lever to get our journalism to the people it was meant for, but it was never the only one."
www.niemanlab.org
January 6, 2026 at 4:41 PM
akoto.bsky.social on why local, mission-focused newsrooms may prove to be more resilient in the face of AI and “Google Zero” traffic collapse.
lizkellynelson.com reckons with the growing phenomenon of creator journalism.
“Independent journalism creators now outperform legacy media by almost every audience measure.”
“Independent journalism creators now outperform legacy media by almost every audience measure.”
The creator infrastructure gap will define journalism’s next chapter
"The next 18 months will determine whether creator journalism develops sustainably — with standards, fair partnerships, and editorial independence protected — or tumbles headlong into the exploitative...
www.niemanlab.org
January 6, 2026 at 4:41 PM
lizkellynelson.com reckons with the growing phenomenon of creator journalism.
“Independent journalism creators now outperform legacy media by almost every audience measure.”
“Independent journalism creators now outperform legacy media by almost every audience measure.”
sarabethb.bsky.social says traditional journalism should start to “genuinely celebrate and valorize the reporters who are out in communities — the ones listening, reflecting and building trust.”
We’ll celebrate the journalists who weave communities together
"This is the year we recognize that community-rooted journalism is the foundation for any hope of rebuilding trust in news."
www.niemanlab.org
January 6, 2026 at 4:41 PM
sarabethb.bsky.social says traditional journalism should start to “genuinely celebrate and valorize the reporters who are out in communities — the ones listening, reflecting and building trust.”
mikeorren.com on the local newsletter revolution!
Of the over 2k in the US, “The ones that grow and succeed tend to be locally curated with a real human personality involved.”
Of the over 2k in the US, “The ones that grow and succeed tend to be locally curated with a real human personality involved.”
The growth hackers come to your town
"They're thinking about the cost of acquiring a customer and how to create useful products while you're spending a small fortune on hard news."
www.niemanlab.org
January 6, 2026 at 4:41 PM
mikeorren.com on the local newsletter revolution!
Of the over 2k in the US, “The ones that grow and succeed tend to be locally curated with a real human personality involved.”
Of the over 2k in the US, “The ones that grow and succeed tend to be locally curated with a real human personality involved.”
krismul.bsky.social calls for a foundation of trust:
“We can rebuild our distribution through relationships versus algorithms and make room for other people doing the work of documenting and verifying.”
“We can rebuild our distribution through relationships versus algorithms and make room for other people doing the work of documenting and verifying.”
Taking journalism down to its studs
"When ICE agents grab people off our streets, residents need documenters they already trust. If you haven't built that trust beforehand, you won't get those calls. You won't get access."
www.niemanlab.org
January 6, 2026 at 4:41 PM
krismul.bsky.social calls for a foundation of trust:
“We can rebuild our distribution through relationships versus algorithms and make room for other people doing the work of documenting and verifying.”
“We can rebuild our distribution through relationships versus algorithms and make room for other people doing the work of documenting and verifying.”
So much great thinking in @niemanlab.org’s 2026 predictions, especially about the role journalism orgs and practitioners play in local media ecosystems around the country.
Here’s a playlist of great pieces:
Here’s a playlist of great pieces:
January 6, 2026 at 4:41 PM
So much great thinking in @niemanlab.org’s 2026 predictions, especially about the role journalism orgs and practitioners play in local media ecosystems around the country.
Here’s a playlist of great pieces:
Here’s a playlist of great pieces:
Reminder: we’re still collecting responses to our annual survey for folks who read our newsletter or follow us on social media.
What feels worth paying attention to? What do you want to know more about? Where should we be directing our focus?
Hint: Don’t comment here, answer the survey :)
What feels worth paying attention to? What do you want to know more about? Where should we be directing our focus?
Hint: Don’t comment here, answer the survey :)
The New_ Public Survey 2025
Tell us about what's important to you: we'd love your opinion on both social media and New_ Public.
newpublic.typeform.com
January 5, 2026 at 7:56 PM
Reminder: we’re still collecting responses to our annual survey for folks who read our newsletter or follow us on social media.
What feels worth paying attention to? What do you want to know more about? Where should we be directing our focus?
Hint: Don’t comment here, answer the survey :)
What feels worth paying attention to? What do you want to know more about? Where should we be directing our focus?
Hint: Don’t comment here, answer the survey :)
Back online after the holidays. Tell us about one of your favorite offline holiday traditions!
Forget the usual considerations (revenue, gamification, etc.) … can you imagine a digital equivalent of that tradition? What would that look like? How would it work?
Forget the usual considerations (revenue, gamification, etc.) … can you imagine a digital equivalent of that tradition? What would that look like? How would it work?
January 5, 2026 at 4:30 PM
Back online after the holidays. Tell us about one of your favorite offline holiday traditions!
Forget the usual considerations (revenue, gamification, etc.) … can you imagine a digital equivalent of that tradition? What would that look like? How would it work?
Forget the usual considerations (revenue, gamification, etc.) … can you imagine a digital equivalent of that tradition? What would that look like? How would it work?
We’re signing off for the rest of the year.
From the whole team at New_ Public, hoping the holidays bring you rest, peace, joy, and light.
From the whole team at New_ Public, hoping the holidays bring you rest, peace, joy, and light.
December 22, 2025 at 7:08 PM
We’re signing off for the rest of the year.
From the whole team at New_ Public, hoping the holidays bring you rest, peace, joy, and light.
From the whole team at New_ Public, hoping the holidays bring you rest, peace, joy, and light.
A year ago, Meta announced they were introducing a new Local tab on Facebook. So where is it?
Your guess is as good as ours, but this fits a pattern: the only features that succeed on Facebook are the ones that boost metrics like “time spent on the app” and increase ad revenue.
Your guess is as good as ours, but this fits a pattern: the only features that succeed on Facebook are the ones that boost metrics like “time spent on the app” and increase ad revenue.
Introducing New Facebook Local Tab, Messenger Communities, AI Integrations and More
We’re testing new Local and Explore tabs that gather content from across Facebook to help you find what you’re interested in, plus we’re introducing an updated Video tab, AI integrations and more.
about.fb.com
December 19, 2025 at 6:09 PM
A year ago, Meta announced they were introducing a new Local tab on Facebook. So where is it?
Your guess is as good as ours, but this fits a pattern: the only features that succeed on Facebook are the ones that boost metrics like “time spent on the app” and increase ad revenue.
Your guess is as good as ours, but this fits a pattern: the only features that succeed on Facebook are the ones that boost metrics like “time spent on the app” and increase ad revenue.
We can’t let the frontier AI labs double down on the business incentives that have ruled social media.
New_ Public Co-Director @deeptidoshi.bsky.social writes that AI companions have the potential to trap us in a “synthetic intimacy” doom loop. However:
New_ Public Co-Director @deeptidoshi.bsky.social writes that AI companions have the potential to trap us in a “synthetic intimacy” doom loop. However:
December 19, 2025 at 2:54 PM
We can’t let the frontier AI labs double down on the business incentives that have ruled social media.
New_ Public Co-Director @deeptidoshi.bsky.social writes that AI companions have the potential to trap us in a “synthetic intimacy” doom loop. However:
New_ Public Co-Director @deeptidoshi.bsky.social writes that AI companions have the potential to trap us in a “synthetic intimacy” doom loop. However: