The Decline of Mainstream Media and the Right to Information

Author: Suyash Pasi, MA

June 11, 2025

In a healthy society, everyone should be able to freely access and receive accurate information. Access to reliable information helps people make decisions that affect their lives, their communities, and how they participate in civic life. Article 19 of the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights guarantees the right to “seek, receive and impart information and ideas of all kinds, regardless of frontiers, either orally, in writing or in print.” However, that right is being weakened by the growing spread of false and or misleading information - both unintentional (misinformation) and deliberate (disinformation). False information not only creates confusion, it also threatens our ability to discern the truth. When we are unable to distinguish between verified information and misleading narratives, the right to information loses its meaning.

It must be noted that this rise in false information is a consequence of the broader decline of mainstream media - a phenomenon caused primarily by the rapid growth of the internet and social media platforms. The rise of alternative media has allowed sensationalist content, conspiracy theories, and ideologically motivated misinformation to circulate widely without editorial oversight. This shift has undermined our ability to meaningfully exercise our right to information, which is essential for informed civic participation in a democratic society.

The Decline of Mainstream Media

Falling circulation, reduced advertising revenues, and increased competition have led to widespread layoffs and closures across traditional media organizations. Since the rise of social media in the mid-2000s, newspaper advertising revenue has fallen from $60 billion to $20 billion. The impact on news staff has been significant as well - in 2023, layoffs across print, digital, and broadcast news organizations increased by nearly 50% compared to the previous year. Additionally, the partisan divide in trust in traditional news institutions has widened considerably. According to a study by Gallop in 2022, only 14% of Republicans and 27% of Independents trusted mainstream media to report the news fully and fairly, compared to 70% of Democrats. Consequently, right-wing alternative platforms such as Truth Social, Gab, and Rumble, have deliberately positioned themselves as platforms that value uncensored truth, freedom, and resistance to perceived liberal bias. However, the lack of editorial standards and of the alternative media that tends to populate these platforms raises concerns about the unchecked spread of misinformation.

It must be noted however, this decline in trust does not correspond to a decline in news consumption. The vast majority of Americans across generations report watching the news daily, with nearly 80% of Millennial and Gen Z reporting as such. However, these audiences are increasingly turning to social media platforms such as Instagram, YouTube, and X. 

The Rise of Alternative Platforms and Algorithmic Gatekeeping

The changes in mainstream media and the rise of alternative media has been shaped by rapid shifts in technology, trust in media, and our information environment. While this shift is not inherently negative, as the diversification of media sources allows for greater independence, freedom from oligarchic control, and may resonate more with traditionally underserved communities, structural problems such as the absence of fact-checking protocols, opaque sources of funding and limited editorial oversight raise serious concerns. Unlike traditional news organizations that are bound by editorial standards and accountability, many alternative platforms operate without such safeguards. This lack of oversight may lead to the spread of misinformation.

The 2022 film Died Suddenly, produced by far-right internet personality Stew Peters, had a noticeable impact on the information environment. The film claimed that the COVID 19 vaccine was part of a depopulation conspiracy and responsible for a global rise in deaths. Although these claims were debunked by news organisations, the film reached millions of viewers all across the world through social media. Another example was the movie 2000 Mules by conservative commentator Dinesh D’Souza, which claimed that a coordinated network conspired to alter the results of the 2020 U.S. presidential election in favor of the Democrats. However, its claims were also widely debunked, and further investigations found no evidence of widespread voter fraud. The production company, Salem Media, and D’Souza later apologized for a few of their claims. However, once again, the film helped entrench false narratives of a stolen election.

The use of alternative media to spread falsehoods has also become a tool used by foreign adversaries to harm the U.S. information ecosystem. In 2023, the Department of Justice discovered a Russian influence operation in which a fake U.S. media firm was created to pay popular right-wing American influencers to promote Russian propaganda. Prominent right-wing alternative media figures such as Tim Pool, Dave Rubin, and Lauren Southern were allegedly offered contracts to produce content around the war in Ukraine, NATO, and domestic culture war issues. While these influencers claim that they were unaware of Russian funding, this incident highlights how alternative media can be manipulated as a launching point for foreign disinformation.

Unlike mainstream media, many alternative media outlets have little to no formal oversight. They tend to be personality-driven organizations that have a much more centralized structure, with their creators having a disproportionate amount of decision-making power. With financial independence tied to ad revenue and crowdfunding, this creates an environment where creators, and by extension, the platforms themselves,  alternative media outlets, may be more vulnerable to bribery or covert funding operations by malicious or politically motivated entities, including those with geopolitical motives, such as foreign governments seeking to influence public opinion for their own goals.

Disinformation as a Violation of the Right to Information

While legal interpretations of the right to information focus on physical access, that right is also undermined when the information environment is flooded with false or misleading content. As noted by the United Nations (UN) Report of the Special Rapporteur, “Disinformation online can have serious consequences for democracy and human rights... It is politically polarizing, hinders people from meaningfully exercising their human rights and destroys their trust in Governments and institutions.”

In 2022, the UN released a report on rising disinformation, pushing for stronger government regulatory oversight of social media platforms, proactive targeting of disinformation operations, and the expansion of media literacy education. The report stressed the importance of working collaboratively across governments, civil societies, media organizations, and educational institutions toward a more transparent, trustworthy, and inclusive information environment. However, this would be one of the many steps required to tackle the problem of rising misinformation.

Conclusion

Actions that compromise the right to information as enshrined in Article 19 of the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights, erode the foundations of democratic transparency and accountability. Thus, it is essential that policymakers act with urgency to curb the spread of misinformation. Regulatory frameworks must ensure transparency and accountability from digital platforms, and the deliberate spread of falsehoods ought to be considered a violation of international human rights standards. Protecting the right to access information must be actively defended to ensure the integrity of the information environment.

As mainstream media weakens and unregulated platforms take its place, the health of our information environment continues to deteriorate. This shift in how the structure of how our information is created and consumed poses a serious threat to our right to information. Dealing with this decline requires a long-term, structural response to address the systems, companies, and institutions that shape the flow of information in our present landscape. These changes must include stronger regulation, increased platform transparency, and public education initiatives to rebuild trust and strengthen our information ecosystem.

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Websites to identify credible news stories

• Factcheck.org -  A website that examines the truthfulness of claims by US figures and institutions.

• Politifact.com - A fact-checking website that rates the truthfulness of political claims.

• Snopes.com - A website that debunks a variety of rumors, hoaxes, and misinformation.

• Ground.news - A website that compares how different news media outlets cover the same story.

• MediaBiasFactCheck.com - A website that provides bias ratings for news media websites and performs fact checks.

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Glossary

• Alternative Media - Media that operates outside traditional news institutions. They tend to have fewer editorial standards and advocate for the interests of groups that have been excluded from mainstream media.

• Algorithmic Gatekeeping - The use of algorithms to select and prioritize information for users, influencing the content they consume.

• Censorship - The act of suppressing or restricting access to information by governments, organizations, or media platforms.

• Conspiracy - A plan made in secret by a group to do something illegal or harmful.

• Debunked - Proven to be false or misleading. 

• Disinformation - False information spread deliberately to mislead.

• Ecosystem - An interconnected and interdependent system

• Editorial Standards - Rules and guidelines in place by the media to ensure accuracy and ethical reporting.

• Echo Chamber - An environment where individuals are only exposed to information that reinforces their existing beliefs.

• Entrench - Establish firmly, making change very difficult

• False Narrative - An untrue or misleading reporting of information that changes facts to influence opinion.

• Frontier - A boundary or limit of knowledge in a particular area.

• Information Ecosystem - An environment where information is produced, shared, and consumed from all possible sources, including traditional and alternative media sources.

• Inherently - Existing as an essential and permanent quality of something.

• Mainstream Media - Large, well-established media organizations that follow traditional journalistic practices.

• Media Literacy - The ability to analyze, understand, and evaluate media.

• Misinformation - False or inaccurate information shared without intent to deceive.

• NATO -  The North Atlantic Treaty Organization is a military alliance of 32 North American and European countries.

• Oligarchal - Relating to control by a small and powerful elite group

• Partisan - Prejudiced in favor of one viewpoint.

• Perceived Bias - The impression that a group favors another, regardless of whether actual bias exists.

• Polarization - The growing division between opposing groups.

• Production company - A business that produces media content.

• Propaganda - Information, often biased or misleading, that is used to promote a political viewpoint.

• Public Discourse - The open back and forth of opinions in society.

• Right to Information - Under Article 19 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, which states that “Everyone has the right to freedom of opinion and expression; this right includes freedom to hold opinions without interference and to seek, receive and impart information and ideas through any media and regardless of frontiers”.

• Sensationalism - The use of shocking stories to attract attention.

• Traditional media organization - An news outlet that has existed before the use of the internet. Characterized by established and transparent editorial standards, professional journalistic practices, and a legal commitment to operate within regulatory frameworks.

• Veracity - Truthfulness of information.

• Vet -  To examine a claim or person for accuracy or reliability.