The Rant-Cheese with that Whine?

Cheese with the Whine?The media's reluctance to embrace and actively cheer for censorship, particularly during the COVID-19 pandemic, is a stark contrast to the fervent outrage over a comedian's perceived misstep. During the pandemic, media organizations, politicians, and social media giants declared themselves the arbiters of truth, branding dissenting opinions as "misinformation," "disinformation," or "dangerous conspiracy theories." Social media platforms, often pressured by government entities, actively suppressed content, flagging, shadow-banned, or removed accounts belonging to doctors, journalists, and researchers with views outside the approved narrative. The mainstream media framed these actions as necessary interventions to "protect public health," combat "infodemics," and ensure responsible discourse. They championed the "tough but necessary" decisions of tech companies to police content, replacing critical journalism with an almost propagandistic enforcement of a singular narrative. This betrayal of the principles of a free press and open society is a profound betrayal of the very principles of a free press and open society. The real danger is not a comedian failing to be sufficiently "woke" or offending a niche audience, but a media that champions the suppression of dissenting voices, actively contributing to creating an echo chamber, and forgetting its role in undermining the foundational pillars of liberal democracy.