Democracy Dies in Dollars

Gabriella Ronquillo ’26

Democracy Dies in Darkness—the prescient slogan of The Washington Post echoes across every piece of media we consume. Bought by Jeff Bezos in 2013, the newspaper was one of the first examples of the fine line between journalistic agency and a media restrained by those with enough capital. Now, the decline of The Washington Post, the New Yorker reports, is marked by the removal of the entire sports section, a loss of a hundred million dollars in 2024, and Bezos’ strong ties to the Trumps. The Washington Post is just one example of many newspapers crumbling as the media is purchased by billionaires. In an ironic turn of events, CNN reported on how billionaire David Ellison, CEO of Paramount Skydance, would purchase Warner Bros. Discovery (WBD), the parent company of CNN.

While we feel the control of companies by billionaires even more acutely through overt forms of censorship—notably the canceling of the Stephen Colbert show and the suspension of the Jimmy Kimmel show in 2025—the privatization of media companies is foundational to Hollywood’s existence. According to Victor Pickard, a professor of media policy and political economy at the University of Pennsylvania, public broadcasting was established as recently as 1967, and the media has always had to rely on ownership of private corporations. It was only in 1949 that the media was obligated to report on controversial issues with the Fairness Act. Despite reform, the federal government only spent on average $1.59 per person in public broadcasting.  Instead of news being at stake, political connections are. We, the viewers, are simply pawns in maintaining the influence media company owners have on politics. After all, Ellison was only able to purchase WBD after outbidding the Saudi Public Investment Fund and getting the stamp of approval from Trump. 

The collapse of Hollywood, therefore, can be seen as emerging class consciousness of the consumer, lifting the veil of entertainment. Here lies the double-edged sword of the media – the very outrage that our emerging class consciousness creates towards how politics plays out in how the news is shared with us is what also helps the media survive. The retaliation and cause of the major purchase comes from an unlikely source—social media. CNN reported that WBD was sold because of increasing competition with Disney, Netflix, and social media platforms. The same platforms where people are speaking out against mainstream media is also the cause of the decline of established new sources.  But how sustainable is social media outrage if those companies also weren’t built on public interest?

From widespread cynicism towards cable television networks emerges advocacy on social media. According to the Pew Research Center, 80% of adults in 2020 stated that social media is a very or somewhat effective way to raise awareness about political and social issues and create social movements. At the same time, social media is yielded as a weapon, with NPR reporting how Minnesota ICE raids were influenced by Youtuber Nick Shirley’s video accusing Somali daycare centers of fraud, or not actually operating. While his claims aren’t supported, Vance praised the video and in January, the White House posted on X how his video helped them better understand the situation in Minnesota.

Like many stories, the media itself is entangled in twists and information you cannot take at face value. Being aware of the symbiotic relationship between the news we consume and those with the highest bidding power helps us see beyond the story and seek the truth. For now, we must leave ourselves with more question marks to recognize the dollar signs behind what we know — only then can the truth set us free.