Colin Wu
Colin Wu|Oct 29, 2025 04:30
Some thoughts on the challenges faced by traditional institutional media and the opportunities for individual media, organized with the help of GPT: In the traditional era, media served as a scarce intermediary for information. Society had no 'channels for questioning.' So even if the media made mistakes, there was no public feedback mechanism. The authority of the media came from structural monopolies. But now it’s different—producing and publishing information has almost no barriers. Comment sections and social media have become instant judgment arenas. Media is no longer the sole publisher of truth but just 'one competitor among countless truth narratives.' So even if the media is more accurate now than in the past, its sense of authority has become more fragile. Trust is no longer granted by institutions (editorial boards, credentials, mastheads) but by algorithms, emotions, and social relationships. As a result, accuracy gets diluted by the logic of virality in the dissemination process. A sensational headline from an independent creator can generate far more reach than a fact-checked report. This has flipped the incentive structure of media: the marginal return on truth has decreased, while the marginal return on emotion has increased. The 'KOL-ization' of media is a self-evolution for survival because traffic has become the new currency. In the algorithm-driven world: media organizations and KOLs (Key Opinion Leaders) compete on the same recommendation logic; influence has become the new measure of authority; personalized expression has replaced institutional objectivity. This creates a paradox: media outlets that genuinely want to produce serious content often end up with weaker reach. Meanwhile, individuals skilled at creating emotion, narratives, and identity resonance end up looking more like media. The recommendation logic of social media naturally favors 'people'—those with a continuous trajectory of expression; with faces, voices, and emotions; who can create resonance and stickiness. This has allowed many journalists, hosts, and commentators, previously constrained within institutions, to become freer and more popular after leaving. They bring their professional expertise into the era of 'personality-driven media,' combining credibility with relatability, and audiences naturally follow.
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