How a left-wing independent media ecosystem reshapes Democratic politics in US

NEW YORK: Farah Berent, a teacher in Michigan, used to learn about politics from channels like ABC, CBS and CNN. But that changed as she decided that coverage of the war in Gaza was irreparably biased. "I couldn’t stand all the lies on the stations,″ she said, arguing that there wasn't enough attention being paid to Palestinian suffering. "I started going to Instagram to get my news.” Berent is among many progressive-minded Americans who have sworn off legacy media institutions. They're turning to a widening mix of independent podcasts, social media accounts and digital news sites, part of an increasingly influential ecosystem that has boosted this year's wave of anti-establishment, left-leaning candidates who may not have gotten as much attention otherwise. Liberals remain more likely than conservatives to trust mainstream outlets, but the splintering echoes how conservatives sceptical of their party created a collection of insurgent news sites years ago. The shift has elevated individual commentators with opinions on the news, some of whom have proven influential in driving people’s votes. Ryan Grim, a co-founder of Drop Site News and a veteran of online political debates, said progressive politicians have sought out his platform to reach voters. In a change from previous election cycles, "they have ways to get covered even if the mainstream just basically ignores them,” he said. One of those candidates is Abdul El-Sayed, who is running for U.S. Senate in Michigan and faces the more moderate U.S. Rep. Haley Stevens in the Aug 4. primary. No longer the gatekeepers "I think in a lot of ways, where traditional media has been gatekeepers, we’re watching that gatekeeping function fall away,” El-Sayed said. These changes have been on display this year in places like New York City, where a slate of progressive congressional candidates endorsed by Mayor Zohran Mamdani defeated establishment-backed candidates. Sara Hyler, a policy analyst in East Harlem, originally planned to support incumbent Rep. Adriano Espaillat in last month's Democratic primary. But then Hyler started learning about progressive outsider Darializa Avila Chevalier through YouTube videos and podcasts, including from the liberal media company MeidasTouch. "My actual beliefs are to the left of Democrats. I don't want a moderate,” said Hyler, who ultimately voted for Avila Chevalier in hopes she could help nudge Congress toward progressive policies. Digital transformation The rise of independent media has been part of a digital transformation that transcends politics, as chronically online Americans are turning toward news from social media and content creators. But it's not just the popularity of smartphones driving that change. "There’s a complete lack of trust in any and all institutions now,” said Mike Nellis, a Democratic consultant who hosts a podcast, writes a Substack and posts political analysis on social media. "That has led people to turn to individuals, and so now you’re picking your flavour of person to listen to.” Among conservatives, faith in mainstream media and in the more moderate wing of the Republican Party faltered years ago, with the rise of the Tea Party movement paving the way for an alternative right-wing media ecosystem, including sites like the Daily Caller, Breitbart and The Blaze. Trump also tapped into a loose constellation of podcasts, including "The Joe Rogan Experience," for his successful comeback campaign. Reece Peck, a media culture professor at the College of Staten Island, said the left-wing version of that has happened slowly, beginning with the momentum of Sen. Bernie Sanders’ first presidential run in 2016. At the time, left-wing, anti-establishment YouTube accounts and podcasts like The Young Turks and Chapo Trap House were gaining attention but didn't reach the majority of Democratic voters. New realities Now Democrats have realised their faith in institutions didn't prevent Trump's return. "The ground has been made fertile for an anti-establishment media politics, where it just wasn’t quite there with the voter base in those previous cycles,” Peck said. Even older, moderate liberals, he said, have started to ″throw their hands in the air and look for alternatives.” YouTube accounts like ”Secular Talk" and "Breaking Points,” streamers like Hasan Piker and new digital journalism organisations like More Perfect Union and The Lever are among those that have seen their audiences multiply. Grim said Drop Site has amassed 800,000 free and 60,000 paid subscribers since launching two years ago - more than he'd anticipated. Saul Levin, a Michigan progressive organizer who recently started his own podcast about artificial intelligence data centers, said Trump’s attacks on the existing media landscape are part of the reason for that growth. Erosion of media values "The investigations and raids on numerous different journalists, the appointment of specifically aligned billionaires to lead various major news agencies