The Death of Mainstream Media - A Triumph for Independent Thought #2

When was the last time you turned on the television to watch the evening news? Or perused the daily paper's ostensibly axiomatic headlines? The whirring of the legacy media machine has come to a seductive standstill - but what rendered asunder this conglomerate leviathan and what has delectably taken its place?

Although, I would rather willingly task myself to list the cornucopia of half truths, mistruths, lies, deception and duplicity loaded in everyone nuance of mainstream media reporting, in every iota of ink printed on every page of every paper - I don't think my poor keyboard would stand a chance against the frenzied hammering that would ensue. In all seriousness, we underestimate the extent to which we have been lied to.

"The media's the most powerful entity on Earth. They have the power to make the innocent guilty and to make the guilty innocent, and that's power. Because they control the minds of the masses." - Malcolm X

The 1960's were, in my opinion, the gravest turning point in our modern history. The same decade in which Malcolm X fought for "the hope and the dream of the slave", humanity witnessed the start of its modern re-enslavement; early landmarks of our current decay - designed and inaugurated. And, a key figure in the decomposition of society since the 1960s has been the mainstream media. The term 'mainstream media' or 'MSM', as it is often abbreviated to, is a widely understood term but enigmatically difficult to pinpoint. Upon referencing the MSM, I mean to entail all news conglomerates, newspapers, broadcast media. The BBC and ITV being our biggest culprits in the UK. A 2021 report by Media Reform Coalition revealed that 90% of UK-wide print media are controlled by just three companies and this figure was up from 83% in 2019.

In the face of this growing imposition on our freedom of thought, a burgeoning infiltration of Orwellian propaganda, we must endeavour to strive for media, for truth, through means which do not compromise our intellectual integrity. Now, many of us have come to this aforementioned epiphany and turned to independent voices.

In recent years, this growing disenchantment with mainstream media has led us to seek alternative perspectives via independent voices. This shift stems largely from extraordinary bias, sensationalism, and corporate influence within traditional outlets. Critics argue that mainstream platforms often prioritise profit over truth, filtering narratives to align with political or economic interests. A 2022 Gallup poll revealed that only 34% of Americans expressed trust in mass media—a stark decline from previous decades, highlighting a crisis of credibility. Against a backdrop of distrust, independent voices have emerged as beacons of authenticity, appealing to audiences disillusioned by the polished yet opaque veneer of corporate journalism.

Platforms like Substack have empowered figures such as Matt Taibbi and Glenn Greenwald, whose investigative reporting offers nuanced critiques often absent from mainstream discourse. Similarly, YouTube and podcasting have birthed influential commentators like Joe Rogan, Russell Brand and Candace Owens, who challenge prevailing narratives. These independent creators often engage directly with their audiences, fostering a sense of transparency and accountability rare in the legacy media landscape.

Moreover, the decentralised nature of platforms like Twitter and Rumble enables individuals to bypass traditional gatekeepers, amplifying marginalised voices and diverse viewpoints. While critics caution that these alternative sources may lack editorial oversight, proponents celebrate their ability to disrupt entrenched hierarchies and democratise information. Ultimately, the migration toward independent media reflects a broader demand for unfiltered, multifaceted reporting—an antidote to the perceived homogeneity of mainstream outlets.

I, myself, have lost total trust in the mainstream media. A catalyst for this previously unexpected detachment, from establishment approved news sources, is the current genocide of the native Palestinian population. I find myself in a constant state of irreproachable disgust upon reading headlines of "massacred Israeli babies" and "Hamas reported deaths in Palestine"; disgusted at the death, disgusted in the disparity. The weight of horror on one side being cast through a megaphone of asymmetry. The slaughter of the Palestinians being extinguished under the boot of Zionist lobbying.

If the mainstream media can haunt us with the apparition of oppression, if we can be harassed with their aspersions of cancel culture and if they can muzzle the final breaths of the Palestinian children, beneath the rubble, under the guise of "self-defence", then no longer will I choose to partake in their villainy nor allow them to profit over my trust and viewership.

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Join me next week as we, once again, face our greatest oppressor - silence.

Drop me a message on Instagram with any feedback or email me at issaishaqblog@gmail.com.

Issa.