For over a decade, social platforms and tech platforms asserted that they were mere conduits — neutral pipes through which public conversation flowed uninhibited. It was a convenient fiction that excused platforms from editorial responsibility while maximising engagement metrics.

Today, that conceit lies in ruins. Algorithmic distribution is inherently political. Every ranking parameter, every recommendation engine, and every engagement coefficient reflects an editorial choice, prioritising viral controversy over measured investigation.

If journalism is to preserve its constitutional role as an essential pillar of self-governing societies, media organisations must defend transparent, human-led verification and reject the commodification of civic discourse.