Was it better when we were manufacturing consent?

Abstract

Institutional filters such as concentrated ownership, advertising dependency, and reliance on official sources historically aligned traditional media narratives with elite interests. The emergence of alternative media platforms has effectively bypassed these traditional constraints through decentralized production and crowdfunding models. Yet, this shift has substituted institutional bias with an engagement-driven filter, wherein algorithmic optimization prioritizes sensationalism and outrage over factual accuracy or nuance. Unlike traditional outlets that often adhere to established ethical standards and fact-checking protocols, alternative media operates in a digital marketplace that rewards viral content regardless of its epistemic value. This transition from curated to engagement-based information dissemination is closely linked to the proliferation of populism and political polarization. The resulting information environment places significant demands on public media literacy, threatening democratic stability by facilitating the spread of inflammatory and unverified narratives. The erosion of gatekeeping functions, while democratizing access to the public square, simultaneously undermines the factual consensus necessary for effective civic participation. – AI-generated abstract.