Thinking from 10,000 feet, the quality of the media seems bad at a time when anyone can publish contradicting accounts, with evidence, on the internet.

Do you think the old media was actually better? Or was there just no platform for dissenting voices?

If there are no dissenting voices heard, then the media seems like “the truth”.

This is exactly why authoritarian governments and religions are very concerned about counter narrative publications. They want the people to believe that the official sources are the truth.