YMMV
happy motoring
I happily concur with your observation about the forum and it’s currency. Also, that the data presented on the topic here has been minimal and does raise questions, a couple of good ones you’ve just pointed out, and I admit that to reach the levels of hostility between you and Larry at peak at would take a significant (and unlikely) reconciliation and cooling off between myself and Kiid.
So, how diverse and siloed can a media ecosystem be and still have an aggregate message to its content? It there a point past which complexity becomes to great to analyze? Are we there yet?
Is it valid to hold or form opinions on topics for which does not have or cannot present exhaustive data?
Can scripted media create or strengthen opinions in its audience? Does it do that in the United States? Can it do so on issues like race or voting rights?
Without hard data to back it up, it seems to me that all media has a narrative ultimately set by its producers, cable is more siloed and more willing to risk divisive content than broadcast, and that web content is more siloed and divisive still. I welcome any evidence to the contrary.
Historically the ruling classes in the United States have promoted racial fear and resentment as a way to dilute and divert class anger and resentment in the face of glaring inequality between the rich and poor. The same ruling classes own and operate the vast bulk of both the media and the advertisers media organizations depend on. Getting the most pro-corporate interest candidates elected depends increasingly on suppressing minority votes.
Would it be surprising if, on aggregate, media content promoted images of minorities that implied they are more prone to make bad decisions and break rules more than whites?
Where that idea has taken root, does someone hearing that voter ID laws, voting roll purges, and limiting early and mail in voting suppresses minority turnout hear that as a feature or a bug? Does it make them more or less likely to support these policies?
Without the data to refer to (it would be nice to have all the data), how plausible does the premise sound?