> It's undoubtedly more dangerous to be critical of the mainstream narrative now than it was 10-20 years ago.
I have observed that in the last 10-20 years the definition of "mainstream" has come to mean something very personal and subjective. Some media are referred to as "mainstream" only if they offer a supporting bias, and others are labelled "mainstream" only if they have demonstrated disagreement, depending on your ask. The epithet "mainstream media" has become a brush with which one may paint a canvas any colour one desires to forward one's peculiar viewpoint. It is a phrase that has become as meaningless as "political", "science", and even "unbiased". Just another empty adjective to lend pseudo-credence to your opinion.
I don't know about that. In the context of history's broad arc I think you can come up with some adjectives that describe the post-WW2 era in broad terms. Liberal, open, globalized, emancipatory, diverse, individualist, capitalist, etc. I think this set of adjectives seems to characterize the mainstream trends of thought in Western society from 1945-2020 compared to other periods in history, and most major media outlets embrace most of these values.
I have observed that in the last 10-20 years the definition of "mainstream" has come to mean something very personal and subjective. Some media are referred to as "mainstream" only if they offer a supporting bias, and others are labelled "mainstream" only if they have demonstrated disagreement, depending on your ask. The epithet "mainstream media" has become a brush with which one may paint a canvas any colour one desires to forward one's peculiar viewpoint. It is a phrase that has become as meaningless as "political", "science", and even "unbiased". Just another empty adjective to lend pseudo-credence to your opinion.