Part 9/12:
The discussion leads to a broader reflection on what constitutes independent media in the 21st century. As many platforms are acquired or influenced by large corporations or billionaires, the veneer of independence may give way to a controlled aesthetic—a superficial semblance of free debate that ultimately adheres to corporate interests.
Historian and media critic Noam Chomsky’s insights resonate here, where he suggested that mass media often operates not through explicit scripts, but through structural constraints and incentives that shape content. The current trend shows a delicate dance: maintaining a surface-level veneer of independence while being subtly guided by powerful economic and political interests.