In olden times, when few people were literate, and there was little access to printed media, town criers were a central part of urban living. Town criers were responsible for keeping the populace up to date with the latest news and events, and for disseminating news from the ruling classes to the wider populace.
Now, the general literacy of the populace and the ease of access to printed (and digital) media has rendered the town crier somewhat redundant – Town Crier Day celebrates the historical role of the town crier by encouraging people to take up the role of the town crier in their town or city.
