Something I have been thinking about lately:
Is there a "way out" of hyper-optimized, propagandistic, attention-grabbing media overtaking all sources of information in a society with rock-solid free speech laws? Is there even a remote possibility that a nuanced, truthful organization that covers global events could even get funded and exist? I'm a bit skeptical.
We might imagine that in a sort of fictional closed elitist society, so-called guardians could control what the information/media network looks like and ensure that the regulations aren't abused to hide crimes, disallow propaganda-type content, and so on. In reality, that usually ends poorly, but at least theoretically it's possible.
But I don't think that's even a possibility in the kind of media world we live in. Any restrictions on free speech tend to be strongly criticized and repealed, and judging on past events and human flaws, they should be criticized and repealed. The danger from restrictions on speech is almost certainly greater than those from unrestricted speech. And that's not even mentioning the vast, vast ecosystem of media organizations and the billions (trillions?) of dollars they control.
But that doesn't really solve our problem. The best answer I can come up with is that capital funds organizations which explicitly do the things I mentioned, as well as the funds required for them to compete with other sources of media. But for all the philanthropy billionaires have done, none seems to have any interest in establishing such an organization.