You hit the nail on the head regarding the state of the media and centralized communications in general in the pre-digital world. I've read some commentators wax poetically about this previous era looking through some very faulty rose tinted glasses. The only form of instant user to user communications back then was short wave radio, the unlicensed bands, which was very limited. Otherwise all other forms outside of the broadcasting radio and TV spectrum required resources, expenses, and was still slow e.g. printing press, shipping, physical mail. And those were still not private, secure and instant.
I think most people harping on social media are ironically using social media to voice their complaints. Most people probably think of "social media" as only Twitter, Instagram, et. al, however, Substack is by definition social media, and legally so according to all the various laws proposed and passed in the US and elsewhere (specifically: any medium that allows users to exchange text, audio, video with other end users). So commenting message boards, blogs and forums all qualify as social media and even direct messaging to large groups that can be joined by the public e.g. Telegram, or any video hosting platform (not just Youtube). It doesn't require algorithms pushing a feed, or limited short form posts, to fall under the legal definition of social media. And without this kind of medium, the only alternative would be exactly the type of gatekeeping you mentioned which inevitably is controlled by the State and elites as evidenced by Operation Mockingbird.
You hit the nail on the head regarding the state of the media and centralized communications in general in the pre-digital world. I've read some commentators wax poetically about this previous era looking through some very faulty rose tinted glasses. The only form of instant user to user communications back then was short wave radio, the unlicensed bands, which was very limited. Otherwise all other forms outside of the broadcasting radio and TV spectrum required resources, expenses, and was still slow e.g. printing press, shipping, physical mail. And those were still not private, secure and instant.
I think most people harping on social media are ironically using social media to voice their complaints. Most people probably think of "social media" as only Twitter, Instagram, et. al, however, Substack is by definition social media, and legally so according to all the various laws proposed and passed in the US and elsewhere (specifically: any medium that allows users to exchange text, audio, video with other end users). So commenting message boards, blogs and forums all qualify as social media and even direct messaging to large groups that can be joined by the public e.g. Telegram, or any video hosting platform (not just Youtube). It doesn't require algorithms pushing a feed, or limited short form posts, to fall under the legal definition of social media. And without this kind of medium, the only alternative would be exactly the type of gatekeeping you mentioned which inevitably is controlled by the State and elites as evidenced by Operation Mockingbird.