The PR industry has engaged in FUD and disinformation campaigns since the 50s, far before the advent of the internet. Business and other establishment interests

The PR industry has engaged in FUD and disinformation campaigns since the 50s, far before the advent of the internet. Business and other establishment interests have attempted to control the media for much longer. Journalists that didn't fit the mold just wouldn't get hired by any newspaper, and as a result the media has always had enormous blind spots. The loss of many editorial boards is regrettable, but in exchange we have gotten access to news from all over the world. Desperate fighting for clicks conflicts with journalistic values, but newspapers have always depended on advertisement income. The newspapers of old didn't dare offend their advertising patrons. Major news organizations in every country should be funded by the public, just like we fund the other checks and balances in society like the courts system and law enforcement.