The right dominates the online media ecosystem, seeping into sports, comedy, and other supposedly nonpolitical spaces

A new Media Matters analysis found 9 out of the 10 top online shows assessed are right-leaning

As Americans increasingly get their news from online shows and streamers, the influence of this media ecosystem becomes more prominent — and Media Matters has found that the most popular of this content is overwhelmingly right-leaning.

In a new study, Media Matters assessed the audience size of popular online shows — podcasts, streams, and other long-form audio and video content regularly posted online. To do so, we gathered data on the number of followers, subscribers, and views across streaming platforms (YouTube, Spotify, Rumble, Twitch, and Kick) and social media platforms that are used to amplify and promote these shows (Facebook, Instagram, and TikTok). Apple Podcasts does not publicly provide follower counts on its platform, so it was not included in the audience data.

This analysis was based on 320 online shows with a right-leaning or left-leaning ideological bent. We found that right-leaning online shows dominate the ecosystem, with substantially larger audiences on both politics/news shows and supposedly nonpolitical shows that we determined often platformed ideological content or guests.

  • 𝔗𝔢𝔯 𝔐𝔞𝔵𝔦𝔪𝔞
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    5 hours ago

    The main reason I don’t follow much left-leaning content online is because a lot of it is utterly depressing.

    I’m sure there is a way to change the presentation of things to stop fueling doomerism without needing to outright sweep bad things under the rug.

    Put more focus on the solutions than the issues, for a start. When covering the opposition, always do so by rightfully making fun of them as the clowns they indeed are. Picturing them as competent in any way indirectly gives them more power.

    I personally don’t want another source of sadness and anger in my life, but I do want to be connected to other leftists and leftist ideas.

    • taiyang@lemmy.world
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      2 hours ago

      Most of the left wing comedy I listen to or watch helps me stay sane, if anything. As your other commenter mentioned, John Oliver is pretty good, but even daily Colbert or Daily Show is ok TV-wise.

      The podcast sphere is mixed as a ton of it is rage bait although I fell in more with the atheist crowd thanks to Citation Needed and God Awful Movies, but those folks have news shows I’m partial to that is the right level of funny to outrage balance for me.

      • Eldritch@lemmy.world
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        4 hours ago

        Oliver is a pretty good entry point. Then again so is Sam cedar. Although the recent episode of Jubilee He was on is enough to drive any sane person mad. He pretty well owned everyone he spoke against. But they were so smug and ignorant they thought they were winning the whole time. But the majority report is generally fairly upbeat and informative. Sam and his co-host pretty well know what they’re talking about and are decent presenters