FREE THINKING:
EXPLORE THE REALMS OF KNOWLEDGE

From ancient chronicles to algorithmic news feeds, the media has always shaped how societies understand truth, power, and conflict. 
Roman historians like Tacitus and Josephus documented political events with vivid detail, but their accounts were far from impartial. Their writings reflected the interests of emperors and elites, setting a precedent for the media’s entanglement with power.
 

The invention of the printing press in the 15th century revolutionised communication. 
In Britain, Fleet Street became the epicentre of the press, with newspapers serving as tools of reform, resistance, and propaganda. 
 

By the 20th century, radio and television expanded the media’s reach. The BBC, founded in 1922, aimed for impartiality, yet its coverage has often been scrutinised for political bias.
Edward Herman and Noam Chomsky’s Manufacturing Consent (1988) argued that media institutions serve elite interests through structural filters such as ownership and advertising. 

This critique is exemplified by Rupert Murdoch’s influence over British politics. In 1997, The Sun famously endorsed Tony Blair’s New Labour, helping to reshape public perception and secure electoral victory.

 As James Curran noted in Media and Power (2002), “The press has often been a partisan player in political struggles.”

In the digital age, social media platforms have disrupted traditional journalism. Conspiracy theories like QAnon—originating in the United States—have gained traction in the UK, fuelling distrust in institutions and spreading misinformation. 

Philosopher Luciano Floridi warned in The Fourth Revolution (2014) that “information overload and manipulation threaten the epistemic foundations of democracy.”

Artificial intelligence has further complicated the media landscape. Deepfakes, synthetic voices, and algorithmically curated content blur the line between reality and fabrication. 

As Kate Crawford notes in Atlas of AI (2021), “AI systems are not neutral; they reflect the politics, biases, and values of those who build them.”
These distortions have tangible consequences. Media portrayals of refugees crossing the English Channel often oscillate between humanitarian concern and moral panic. 

Zygmunt Bauman, in Strangers at Our Door (2016), argued that “the media’s portrayal of refugees contributes to moral panic and political scapegoating.”

In this fragmented and manipulated media environment, the challenge lies not only in consuming information but in critically evaluating it. 

The media remains essential to democratic life—but only when its biases are interrogated, its technologies understood, and its narratives held to account.