>"Isn’t any media company’s ability to hide behind “we’re the free press and we’re necessary for democracy” even more potent than SV’s faux dedication to the interests of humanity?"
You realize that the widely accepted idea of journalism being an essential part of a functioning democracy is not something that today's "media companies" made up right? See "The Fourth Estate":
>"There’s a lot wrong with what SV companies do, but they don’t have the same direct power to define what is and isn’t “true” like the media does"
Are you joking? The SV companies are the Goliath in terms of direct power. Did you miss this whole story of a major election, micro-targeting and dark ads?
Of course they didn't invent it, but they've perverted it entirely. The difference between mainstream choices is essentially just which corporate agenda you prefer. The impact of that is a lot broader than micro targeted Facebook ads. That might sway an election, but the media has a role in selecting the candidates and defining their policies that Facebook ads don't. David Frum once said "Republicans originally thought that Fox worked for us and now we're discovering we work for Fox.", but I think that idea applies to the corporate media and all politicians. These media companies are not benign, they're an integral part of an anti-democratic power structure.
You realize that the widely accepted idea of journalism being an essential part of a functioning democracy is not something that today's "media companies" made up right? See "The Fourth Estate":
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fourth_Estate
>"There’s a lot wrong with what SV companies do, but they don’t have the same direct power to define what is and isn’t “true” like the media does"
Are you joking? The SV companies are the Goliath in terms of direct power. Did you miss this whole story of a major election, micro-targeting and dark ads?
https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/posteverything/wp/2017/1...