{"id":8129,"date":"2026-05-13T10:30:57","date_gmt":"2026-05-13T05:00:57","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/sketharaman.com\/blog\/?p=8129"},"modified":"2026-05-09T20:51:06","modified_gmt":"2026-05-09T15:21:06","slug":"calling-bs-of-msm-narratives-about-slopaganda","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/sketharaman.com\/blog\/2026\/05\/13\/calling-bs-of-msm-narratives-about-slopaganda\/","title":{"rendered":"Calling BS Of MSM Narratives About Slopaganda"},"content":{"rendered":"

Slopaganda = Slop + Propaganda.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

While slop can also originate from sloppy reporters working in the mainstream media, in the context of slopaganda<\/em>, it refers to the output of Generative Artificial Intelligence<\/em> products like ChatGPT<\/em> from OpenAI and Claude<\/em> from Anthropic.<\/p>\n

There\u2019s a growing genre of mainstream media commentary warning about the rise of AI-generated text, images and videos. The commentary is replete with claims, critiques and advice to readers, with the subtext that all genAI output is slop.<\/p>\n

In this blog post, I’ll take 10 MSM narratives about slopaganda and do a reality check of each of them vis-a-vis<\/em> the underlying reality of how incentives, practices, and business models within mainstream media have driven the very outcomes now being criticized.<\/p>\n

Think of it as “Narrative vs. Reality Check<\/em>“.<\/p>\n

Let’s get on with it.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a>Narrative 1:<\/em><\/strong> Nonstop slop flood wears down our ability to separate fact from fiction.<\/p>\n

Reality Check:<\/strong> Sure but this happened well before AI. As I highlighted in my two part blog posts entitled “Why Is It So Hard To Spot Fake News?” (Part 1<\/a> <\/strong>and Part 2<\/a><\/strong>) published well before ChatGPT was a glint in Sam Altman’s eyes, readers have always gravitated towards sources that reinforced their longheld beliefs, preconceived notions, and preexisting biases. They will continue to do that with slopaganda: She who believes in Trumpisms will believe it whether it’s generated by Trump or AI.<\/p>\n

Narrative 2:<\/em><\/strong> Real journalism gets buried under mountains of AI-generated trash.<\/p>\n

Reality Check:<\/strong> “Real journalism” comprises sourcing news from “unnamed sources”. To be honest, this playbook was always dubious. Just that the common man or woman (or “J6P” for Joe Six Pack<\/em> or Jane Six Pack<\/em>) had no other alternative – until social media came along.<\/p>\n

Alt-Media via socials, podcasts, and newsletters has exposed the shortcomings of the MSM playbook and provided an alternative. When I can directly read what Elon says, why do I need a “real journalist” to be the gatekeeper?<\/p>\n

Narrative 3:<\/em><\/strong> Deepfakes show up fast before real reporters even get started.<\/p>\n

Reality Check:<\/strong> This is a lame claim. Gone are the days of real reporters.<\/p>\n

During the Balkan Wars, I’ve literally seen bombs blowing up behind Christian Amanpour while she tirelessly reported live for CNN from Belgrade, Sarajevo, Srebrenica, and other hotspots.<\/p>\n

Whereas “real reporters” of today sit in their rooms, and get their updates on what’s happening in the warzones outside their hotels by talking to their room service waiters.<\/p>\n

Narrative 4:<\/strong><\/em> Slopaganda crumbles trust, making “everything is fake” the default mindset.<\/p>\n

Reality Check:<\/strong> That’s not such a bad thing. Some amount of critical thinking always helps J6P. Besides, MSM contradicts this narrative when the opposite framing suits its purpose, as we’ll see in a minute.<\/p>\n

Also let’s not forget that many MSM articles these days are copy pasta of posts from X fka Twitter. See \u2018Catturd\u2019 Sparks MAGA Uproar With Post About New Legal Troubles<\/strong><\/a> in Newsweek<\/em> for a canonical example.<\/p>\n

Narrative 5:<\/em><\/strong> World depends on content that no human ever reviewed or fact checked before publishing.<\/p>\n

Reality Check:<\/strong> Oh, c’mon, going by my firsthand experience in the past four to five years, I seriously doubt if any human reviews or fact checks MSM output before it’s published.<\/p>\n

In my blog post titled MSM Exhibits Lamp Kettle Syndrome<\/strong><\/a>, I highlighted several gaffes in MSM articles like mixing up millions<\/em>, billions<\/em>, and trillions<\/em> with one another; conflating minimum<\/em> and maximum<\/em> temperatures; and expanding NATO as North American Treaty Organization<\/em>. MSM has no locus standi<\/em> to act Holier than Thou about lack of reviewing or fact checking in Alt-Media.<\/p>\n

MSM also has a serious attitude and knowledge problem when it comes to technology and business, as Martin Peers pointed out in a recent The Briefing<\/em> newsletter in The Information<\/em>.<\/p>\n

\n

“Reporters have too much of a gotcha mentality and too little understanding of tech or business” ~ @mvpeers<\/a> @theinformation<\/a>.
\n+1. Nice to hear this from a reporter.
\nExhibit A: Hunterbrook is the future of media. https:\/\/t.co\/kovsQoRsKf<\/a>. #OpenAI<\/a> #TBPN<\/a>. pic.twitter.com\/OIH8nRNv73<\/a><\/p>\n

\u2014 SKR (@s_ketharaman) April 16, 2026<\/a><\/p><\/blockquote>\n