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The rise of the internet has led to a decline in newspaper subscriptions and the proliferation of free news content online. Traditional news outlets (newspapers and television stations) have lost their subscriber revenue and are now reliant on advertising from corporations and authoritarian regimes. This financial dependence has led to a shift in the editorial slant of these outlets towards the views of their corporate and authoritarian sponsors.

Throughout history, the news media have often served as tools of political and corporate power. The idea of the media as a "fourth estate" that can independently hold governments and corporations to account is a myth. When news outlets are financially dependent on those they are supposed to be reporting on, they are naturally reluctant to criticize them.

In Taiwan, for example, pro-China political parties and media outlets have been reluctant to criticize China's human rights abuses or its expansion in the South China Sea. This is because their advertising revenue comes from China.

Poll results are also often influenced by the interests of those who fund them. The more money is spent on a poll, the more likely it is to produce results that are favorable to the interests of the funder. As a result, poll results are often unreliable.

The internet is also awash with news articles, but many of them are misleading or even propaganda. It can be difficult to distinguish between fact and fiction.