We’re Not Seeing the Whole Truth. That’s the Real Media Crisis

We scroll every day through headlines, protest videos, and breaking alerts but rarely stop to ask who’s actually deciding what shows up? It’s easy to think we’re choosing what we see, but most of our news is shaped by corporations, algorithms, and sometimes even governments. In Canada, most media is owned by just a few companies like Bell Media, Postmedia, and Rogers which gives them huge power over what stories are told and how. This article shows how Canada's largest telecom and media companies control much of the country's news, shaping public access to information. In Russia or North Korea, journalism is controlled by the state. But even here, censorship can be quiet — shaped by what gets posted, liked, or boosted through algorithms that care more about engagement than accuracy. This introduces political communication issues like censorship and media control corporately.

Most young people — including me — get our news from platforms like TikTok, Instagram, or YouTube but these apps don’t show us the truth — they show us content that gets clicks. Whenever I watch something about a protest or a movement that’s political, my feed reflects that side of the story. That’s called an echo chamber, and it’s dangerous because it makes us think we’re seeing everything when we’re only seeing what we already agree with. That’s how misinformation spreads. And it doesn’t just confuse us — it divides us. A Reuters study found that over 70% of Canadians are concerned about online media bias and misinformation. It explains how audiences lose trust when news is repetitive, polarized, or incomplete. You use this to connect to your own teen perspective on why algorithm-driven media can be misleading.

This kind of media framing has a long long history, especially when it comes to the Black community. During Black History Month, we’re reminded of how often the truth has been hidden or distorted in the media. From the civil rights movement to Black Lives Matter protests, Black activism is labeled as dangerous or disruptive, while ignoring the peace, power, and purpose behind it. One famous example is how Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. was portrayed during his lifetime — not as the hero we celebrate today — but often as a troublemaker or extremist. These articles show how media bias and framing affect both public opinion and historical memory — a key part of political communication. Even now, media bias continues to impact how Black voices are heard — or silenced.

So what can we do about it? We can stay alert and read different news sources and fact-check what we see using tools like Snopes and Media Bias/Fact Check. We can support youth-led things that represent a wider range of stories. Most importantly, we can ask better questions: Who’s telling this story? Who’s missing from it? Who benefits from it? As Malcolm X once said, “The media’s the most powerful entity on Earth. They have the power to make the innocent guilty and the guilty innocent.” That’s why media literacy matters. If we want to change the world, we have to understand how it’s being shown to us.

What’s one thing you’ve seen online that made you question the media?

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