An Almost-Depressing Lack of Reliable News Sites
Whilst it's empirically provable and hence likely true that - at least in the area of "Linux" - slopfarms became more scarce lately (Slopwatch is getting hard to do), that does not change the fact that many sites became inactive and news sites are becoming extinct - a trend which by far predates the chatbot mania/frenzy/hype. Every time a holiday is finished (and ads are harder to sell throughout) it seems like even fewer people return to newsrooms. Yes, those are silent layoffs. Fewer "assignments" in this "gig economy" (transient workforce or writers as "contractors", "freelancers", serfs on tap). We find ourselves relying more and more on state-funded news networks for credible journalism (e.g. CBC in Canada and DW in EU/Germany) or mere "inputs" as in reliable information about world affairs, events etc.
The situation won't improve. In the UK, journalism is dying, the national broadcaster is under attack by American criminals, and UK libel law is enabling SLAPPs - a subject we shall cover a lot in years to come because the issue is widely recognised and it's not a uniquely British issue. Both online and offline, rich and powerful corporations work to silence the media or own the media. They wish to control the message - and inter alia the narrative - on everything, including potential of slop ("AI"). That explains the awful state of the media already.
For the time being, in Daily Links, we'll rely a lot on CBC in Canada and DW in EU/Germany. American criminals have attacked and nearly eliminated VoA, RFA, NPR etc. The national media in the US was already compromised before (e.g. Bill Epsteingate 'buying' NPR and PBS among countless others), but it is very quickly getting so much worse. It's hard to envision anything of real substance left in half a decade or a decade.
Social control media? Oh, that would be even worse!
Do not ever rely on the private sector to keep you informed. Taxpayers-funded and accountable to taxpayers will always be better and more reliable, on average. █
