"Now digital platforms are ending the broadcast era. Just over 15 million people watched England lose to Spain in the final of Euro 2024; the podcaster Joe Rogan has more than 14 million followers on Spotify alone, and another 20 million subscribers on YouTube. Rogan's reach is global, but there are scores of minor influencers producing weekly or daily YouTube shows that attract audiences that rival and even surpass the nightly viewership for BBC News at Six."
"Digital platforms alter the form and style of these discussions. Online, whether to drink tap water can be as political as whether to reduce net migration; posting edgy content can shape policy faster than joining a protest; and the appeal of politics is less about meeting material interests than finding what feels authentic amid the fakes, filters and AI slop."
"The number of global social media users surpassed 5 billion in 2024. To put that into perspective there are 8 billion people on the planet. The internet has totally transformed the ways in which we communicate and share information. First the internet came for print. As free online content began outcompeting subscription newspapers, publishers briefly found new audiences on Facebook, only to see referral traffic plummet after the platform began suppressing posts with external links."
More than 5 billion people used social media in 2024, out of about 8 billion globally. The internet transformed communication and displaced print journalism as free online content outcompeted subscription newspapers and referral traffic from platforms fell after link suppression. Digital platforms have ended the broadcast era by enabling individual creators and podcasters to reach audiences rivaling mass television, exemplified by major sports viewership and creators with tens of millions of followers. Online spaces now host community-building, ideological debate, and rapid policy influence. Engagement-driven churn elevates provocative ideas, making authenticity and attention metrics central to modern political communication.
Read at www.theguardian.com
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