The advent of the Internet and 24-hour news networks has created an environment where national news can be received instantly. In addition to social innovations that allow people to be notified instantly of emergencies, people can receive news as it happens. The result of this is a more politically engaged populace that discusses issues in real time.
With more and more cable networks and Internet services seeking to create content, the market is flooded with mediocrity; higher quality programming stands out amongst viewers and critics. The best way to remain competitive in this new market is to create better content. AMC's "Mad Men," Showtime's "Dexter" and HBO's "Game of Thrones" are all high concept, intelligent and well produced, ensuring they stand out amongst the flood of reality shows and half-hearted sitcoms. A competitive media market means that content creators have to strive to differentiate themselves by making better shows and movies, and the audience reaps the benefits.
In 2011, six corporations, such as News Corp and Viacom, own almost every television network, movie studio, newspaper, magazine and radio station in the United States. This leads an unsuspecting public susceptible to a communication theory called Framing, in which media messages can be formatted in such a way that the audience draws a certain conclusion or opinion. For example, since Viacom owns record companies, radio stations and MTV, they can sign a pop singer and use his media to promote Viacom, meaning that marketability is a more important trait than talent in the present music industry.
Uses and Gratifications Theory tells us that media viewers interpret what they want from the media they consume. This has, in essence, consolidated popular opinion and grouped people into intellectual subgroups, which are easier to market and create for. Message makers can then create programming designed to appeal to a specific group, and basically tell them what they want to hear. Despite the fact that we are living in a time of unparalleled access to information, people are no more informed now than they were before, but they are drastically more opinionated and polarized.