Just another way for the opposition/resistance to eat its own. It's not important enough to resist or oppose the fascists; the most important thing is unequivocal commitment to a single purpose or line of opposition.
These people are determined to screw all of us at the same time.
Yikes! Just imagine when what we see of candidates are their AI AVATARS perfectly coiffed and cued, or even them the same hijacked by culture-poli InFluencers! Max Headroom!
I enjoy the professionalism of your pieces and appreciate your bringing to light some of the nonsense going on with some of the “ political influencers”
who seem to be flooding social media. I do not see all of them as having intentions other than furthering their own trajectory at almost any cost.
I have granddaughter who is a freshman at Cornell and just started writing for the Cornell Daily Sun. Is there any advice you might have for a freshman just starting out? Is there a
My comment is only tangentially related to this article, but I am very worried about the Democrats messaging in general. Republicans were able to tar Biden with issues about his son’s laptop very effectively. I heard about it all the time from my MAGA friends. Yet I hear only brief and incomplete snippets about Trump’s crypto scandals and the grift associated with ‘prediction’ markets. For some reason, Democrats are not very effective at hammering these things home to the public.
I found this a vindication of my stone-age- anti Social Media, horrified by directed algorithm, bias. Never used S/M or a news feed and never will. Like crack, S/M is an addiction I have never embraced. My snottiness knows no bounds. The whole thing appears to resemble a thieves market. I will admit, in this paywall era my reading has become slightly less eclectic-small price to pay. Addicted millions, cast off your chains! Thanks, Lauren
If the right is not afraid of its extremists, neither should be the left. Otherwise, the left can't win. But ultimately, you need a leader who can unify all the discordant voices.
8 grand a month ? WOO HOO ! Fat Donald is the hugelyist best president of all time ! THANK YOU FOR YOUR ATTENTION TO THIS MATTER ! New car here I come !
This tyranny by influencer culture is almost a direct result of turning away from mainstream media. There were agreed-upon ethical and professional standards. Yes there was payola, but it was not officially condoned, and if it was uncovered was so scandalous that other mainstream outlets would behave better. Now there are no standards, and elections are even MORE influenced by money than ever.
im not sure this is really true but this invisible army of content creators on the right seem to be a key group that created mythological versions of trump -- that many voters adhere to to this day... so something must be done to counterbalance it. undermining it would be even better or at least an bonus.
I am personally tired of Democrats and content creators who actively work against Democrats, especially in this environment. I sometimes wonder if Hasan Piker even wants Democrats to win, or if he prefers to sink everyone over his narrow-minded ideology.
I do not trust Third Way. https://www.axios.com/2026/03/01/centrist-democrats-liberals-aoc it seems like a corporate democrat think tank fighting against populist ideas and candidates. Also, I have not heard anyone from the Bulwark say anything about Abdul El-Sayed (progressive running for Senate in MI). Like not even remembering his name, just reading to him as the other candidate. I started listening to Abdul’s podcast America Dissected in 2020 during the pandemic, and he is fantastic. A medical doctor working in public health for the state of MI to improve the health and lives of Michiganders. I don’t trust the Bulwark on characterizations of El-Sayed or of Third Way.
That Taylor Lorenz article on Chorus to this day was a sloppy hit piece that doesn’t reflect reality. She herself is a hack journalist who by her definition took her own dark money from the Omidyar group.
Ironic to make an article about the bad effect of these “influencers” and then parrot one of the “bad influencer talking points” that was drummed up to undermine the Democratic Party.
It is incomprehensible to me why anyone believes anything seen in the antisocial media universe as true, or false or anything at all. If it lights up my phone chances are its a lie or at least not what it pretends to be what it is.
It is biased in its origins, biased in its creation, biased in the way it gets circulated and biased in the way it is consumed. Interesting as it might be as opinion or speculation it has no actual value in the real world. It isn't even hearsay testimony.
Without an editorial eye it is simply not a reliable source for anything more than moisturizing routines... and probably not even that.
Now that corporate news is flagrantly, blatantly homogenized into smirking condescension & Vichy deference to the whims of billionares, who can blame readers for thrashing about for an alternate news source that feels benign? I suppose it's easier for MAGA "influencers" to gain traction because their audience is already willing to believe any space-alien tinfoil hat nonsense, unhindered by any tinge of healthy skepticism.
I dumped NYT & WAPO after they went full MAGA after the 2024 election disaster (another "date which will live in infamy"). I have mostly turned to Substack for "alternate media," but the atomized creators can't provide anything close to timely & professionally sourced "news" that we used to accept as credible. The "Fourth Estate" is now a quaking Tower of Babylon, deliberately unable to convey any meaningful sense of understanding in an increasingly chaotic & dangerous world. We have to choose between billionare corporate news flavored "content" or bloggers who may actually be sock puppets for dark-money invisible overlords acting on malign intent we can only guess at. The "informed citizenry" vanishes like Titanic survivors, floundering in a frigid ocean of misinformation and condemned to lapse into ignorance & brutish exploitation because there's no truth or reality anyone will accept anymore.
Where do you go for actual reporting of events as opposed to commentary? You know, with actual reporters, fact-checkers, vetted sources, international bureaus, and editors. The old standard was "who, what, when, where, and why". A major source of our societal disfunction is there's a whole lot of 'whys' out there but there is very little common knowledge of the first four.
The Associated Press? The news section of the Wall Street Journal (but NOT the editorial page!)? Other US newspapers, like The Philadelphia Inquirer? The BBC? The Guardian (and other foreign newspapers)? ProPublica? Bellingcat?
There are lots of places to go for actual journalism, IF you know where to look. That's the problem, though: it's not always found in what used to be the usual places (heck, WIRED magazine did Pulitzer-level reporting on DOGE last year). The bigger problem is that the general public is less interested in actual reporting than they are salacious gossip, scandal, and editorializing that supports their current worldview.
As Sarah Longwell points out, people (especially the younger among us) are increasingly consuming their news incidentally/passively, rather than seeking it out. They don't go to a news site (AP, WSJ news, and yes, Wired) to see what's going on that day. Instead they are fed news (which often hasn't been fact-checked) that is sprinkled along with vacation pics, dietary advice, fitness workouts, and celebrity gossip. Social media feeds, tiktock scrolls, influencer podcasts etc. For example, brocasts that talk about sports, movies, culture, and some 'news' they heard somewhere from some guy. Or a show with hints about raising children, eating well, celebrity culture with a dash (or heap) of anti-vax conspiracy theories.
Just another way for the opposition/resistance to eat its own. It's not important enough to resist or oppose the fascists; the most important thing is unequivocal commitment to a single purpose or line of opposition.
These people are determined to screw all of us at the same time.
Yikes! Just imagine when what we see of candidates are their AI AVATARS perfectly coiffed and cued, or even them the same hijacked by culture-poli InFluencers! Max Headroom!
Hi Lauren!
I enjoy the professionalism of your pieces and appreciate your bringing to light some of the nonsense going on with some of the “ political influencers”
who seem to be flooding social media. I do not see all of them as having intentions other than furthering their own trajectory at almost any cost.
I have granddaughter who is a freshman at Cornell and just started writing for the Cornell Daily Sun. Is there any advice you might have for a freshman just starting out? Is there a
website that would allow her to connect to you?
My comment is only tangentially related to this article, but I am very worried about the Democrats messaging in general. Republicans were able to tar Biden with issues about his son’s laptop very effectively. I heard about it all the time from my MAGA friends. Yet I hear only brief and incomplete snippets about Trump’s crypto scandals and the grift associated with ‘prediction’ markets. For some reason, Democrats are not very effective at hammering these things home to the public.
Republican tend to back their best chances for winning a seat. Democrats love to trash anyone not meeting their odd 100 favorite issues. Stupid.
I found this a vindication of my stone-age- anti Social Media, horrified by directed algorithm, bias. Never used S/M or a news feed and never will. Like crack, S/M is an addiction I have never embraced. My snottiness knows no bounds. The whole thing appears to resemble a thieves market. I will admit, in this paywall era my reading has become slightly less eclectic-small price to pay. Addicted millions, cast off your chains! Thanks, Lauren
If the right is not afraid of its extremists, neither should be the left. Otherwise, the left can't win. But ultimately, you need a leader who can unify all the discordant voices.
8 grand a month ? WOO HOO ! Fat Donald is the hugelyist best president of all time ! THANK YOU FOR YOUR ATTENTION TO THIS MATTER ! New car here I come !
This tyranny by influencer culture is almost a direct result of turning away from mainstream media. There were agreed-upon ethical and professional standards. Yes there was payola, but it was not officially condoned, and if it was uncovered was so scandalous that other mainstream outlets would behave better. Now there are no standards, and elections are even MORE influenced by money than ever.
im not sure this is really true but this invisible army of content creators on the right seem to be a key group that created mythological versions of trump -- that many voters adhere to to this day... so something must be done to counterbalance it. undermining it would be even better or at least an bonus.
I am personally tired of Democrats and content creators who actively work against Democrats, especially in this environment. I sometimes wonder if Hasan Piker even wants Democrats to win, or if he prefers to sink everyone over his narrow-minded ideology.
I do not trust Third Way. https://www.axios.com/2026/03/01/centrist-democrats-liberals-aoc it seems like a corporate democrat think tank fighting against populist ideas and candidates. Also, I have not heard anyone from the Bulwark say anything about Abdul El-Sayed (progressive running for Senate in MI). Like not even remembering his name, just reading to him as the other candidate. I started listening to Abdul’s podcast America Dissected in 2020 during the pandemic, and he is fantastic. A medical doctor working in public health for the state of MI to improve the health and lives of Michiganders. I don’t trust the Bulwark on characterizations of El-Sayed or of Third Way.
No third way and the DLC are Ronnie Reagan Republicans.
That Taylor Lorenz article on Chorus to this day was a sloppy hit piece that doesn’t reflect reality. She herself is a hack journalist who by her definition took her own dark money from the Omidyar group.
Ironic to make an article about the bad effect of these “influencers” and then parrot one of the “bad influencer talking points” that was drummed up to undermine the Democratic Party.
There was a time when village idiots were just that. Now, they have thousands of followers. Thank you internet and social media.
Confident idiocy and psychopathy are currently superpowers.
It is incomprehensible to me why anyone believes anything seen in the antisocial media universe as true, or false or anything at all. If it lights up my phone chances are its a lie or at least not what it pretends to be what it is.
It is biased in its origins, biased in its creation, biased in the way it gets circulated and biased in the way it is consumed. Interesting as it might be as opinion or speculation it has no actual value in the real world. It isn't even hearsay testimony.
Without an editorial eye it is simply not a reliable source for anything more than moisturizing routines... and probably not even that.
I like the cats and dogs.
Now that corporate news is flagrantly, blatantly homogenized into smirking condescension & Vichy deference to the whims of billionares, who can blame readers for thrashing about for an alternate news source that feels benign? I suppose it's easier for MAGA "influencers" to gain traction because their audience is already willing to believe any space-alien tinfoil hat nonsense, unhindered by any tinge of healthy skepticism.
I dumped NYT & WAPO after they went full MAGA after the 2024 election disaster (another "date which will live in infamy"). I have mostly turned to Substack for "alternate media," but the atomized creators can't provide anything close to timely & professionally sourced "news" that we used to accept as credible. The "Fourth Estate" is now a quaking Tower of Babylon, deliberately unable to convey any meaningful sense of understanding in an increasingly chaotic & dangerous world. We have to choose between billionare corporate news flavored "content" or bloggers who may actually be sock puppets for dark-money invisible overlords acting on malign intent we can only guess at. The "informed citizenry" vanishes like Titanic survivors, floundering in a frigid ocean of misinformation and condemned to lapse into ignorance & brutish exploitation because there's no truth or reality anyone will accept anymore.
Where do you go for actual reporting of events as opposed to commentary? You know, with actual reporters, fact-checkers, vetted sources, international bureaus, and editors. The old standard was "who, what, when, where, and why". A major source of our societal disfunction is there's a whole lot of 'whys' out there but there is very little common knowledge of the first four.
The Associated Press? The news section of the Wall Street Journal (but NOT the editorial page!)? Other US newspapers, like The Philadelphia Inquirer? The BBC? The Guardian (and other foreign newspapers)? ProPublica? Bellingcat?
There are lots of places to go for actual journalism, IF you know where to look. That's the problem, though: it's not always found in what used to be the usual places (heck, WIRED magazine did Pulitzer-level reporting on DOGE last year). The bigger problem is that the general public is less interested in actual reporting than they are salacious gossip, scandal, and editorializing that supports their current worldview.
As Sarah Longwell points out, people (especially the younger among us) are increasingly consuming their news incidentally/passively, rather than seeking it out. They don't go to a news site (AP, WSJ news, and yes, Wired) to see what's going on that day. Instead they are fed news (which often hasn't been fact-checked) that is sprinkled along with vacation pics, dietary advice, fitness workouts, and celebrity gossip. Social media feeds, tiktock scrolls, influencer podcasts etc. For example, brocasts that talk about sports, movies, culture, and some 'news' they heard somewhere from some guy. Or a show with hints about raising children, eating well, celebrity culture with a dash (or heap) of anti-vax conspiracy theories.