Have you ever questioned your place on the intelligence scale? Do you pride yourself on being informed? If your primary source of information is mainstream media, brace yourself for a harsh truth—you’re operating on what I call “sheep level” awareness.

And it’s not entirely your fault. The media is designed to keep you in the dark, mold your opinions, and ultimately control how you see the world.

Without exaggeration, everything important you hear in the mainstream media is either a lie or a heavily manipulated version of the truth. These platforms have mastered the art of selective reporting, omission, and narrative spinning, making sure you never get the full picture.

Their goal isn’t to inform but to brainwash, shape public opinion, and reinforce ideologies that serve their agenda. This manipulation isn’t a conspiracy theory—it's basic business. The more fearful and divided the public becomes, the more engaged they remain, which directly translates to money and power.

All News is Shaped by Powerful Interests

Politicians in power use the media to brainwash the public about their opposition, often spinning scandals or controversies to discredit their rivals.

Intelligence agencies like the CIA have long shaped narratives about foreign threats to justify endless wars and interventions. They frame conflicts in a way that garners public support for military action. A lot of the fearmongering is designed to maintain defense budgets and military contracts.

Big Food and Big Pharma: Controlling the Science

Then there are corporations like Big Food and Big Pharma, whose influence over the media is undeniable. These companies sponsor studies and research that conveniently support their products, and the media, in turn, promotes those findings as gospel.

Remember when sugar was supposedly harmless, and fat was the villain? That narrative was driven by the sugar industry. And it’s the same with pharmaceuticals—any skepticism about vaccines, antidepressants, or opioids is immediately suppressed or discredited because these companies pour billions into advertising and lobbying.

The media’s relationship with these industries is clear—keep the public consuming, keep them dependent, and keep the profits rolling in. Whether it’s telling you what to eat or what pill to take, they’re not informing you; they’re selling you something.

The Real Purpose of the Media: Assigning Opinions, Not Information

The truth is, the media can only reliably inform you there’s a protest, for example; everything beyond that—how it started, why it matters, and what should be done—is driven by vested interests. Every single narrative is designed to assign you an opinion, not to inform you.

For example, take any big story—a protest, a war, a financial crisis. The facts themselves are often simple, but the media’s job is to take those facts and twist them into something that drives public opinion in a certain direction. They don’t want you thinking critically; they want you reacting emotionally.

Examples of Media Manipulation

Let’s start with COVID-19. Mainstream media promoted a constant stream of fear-based reporting, often exaggerating the severity of the virus while downplaying treatments or alternative perspectives that didn’t fit the mainstream narrative. Take the early insistence on strict lockdowns and the vilification of anyone who questioned their effectiveness. Meanwhile, the long-term mental health effects and economic damage were barely touched upon. Vaccine discussions were similarly one-sided, with skepticism demonized, even though scientific debates are critical for public health.

Many outlets also pushed the narrative that COVID-19 likely originated in a wet market, dismissing the lab-leak theory as a “conspiracy”—only for that theory to gain legitimate traction later. Why was this information initially ignored? It didn’t suit the broader agenda of protecting certain interests and framing dissenters as “anti-science.”

Then there’s the climate crisis. While no one disputes that we should care for the planet, the mainstream media has turned climate change into an apocalyptic hysteria. They constantly push doomsday scenarios, claiming the world will end in a decade unless we take drastic measures, often linked to sweeping political policies. However, these same outlets ignore more moderate views from experts who point out that the climate is not a simple on-off switch and that humanity has the time and technology to adapt and innovate without plunging into chaos.

This one-sided reporting benefits politicians and corporations pushing for expensive “green” initiatives that often enrich them while leaving average people to bear the financial burden. When was the last time you saw a nuanced discussion about practical solutions rather than sensationalized rhetoric? It doesn’t sell as well as panic does.

Donald Trump, perhaps more than any other modern figure, has been a target of media hoaxes and smear campaigns. From the Russian collusion narrative, which dominated headlines for years before unraveling, to the way the media distorted or selectively reported on his comments (e.g., the “very fine people” hoax), the goal was clear: damage his credibility, regardless of the truth.

Even after many of these claims are debunked, the media never issues corrections or pays any attention. Why? Because it was never about accuracy—it was about pushing a narrative. The media isn’t interested in providing you with the truth when the falsehoods serve their purpose better.

So, What Do You Do?

The answer is simple but not easy: stop trusting the mainstream media as your sole source of information. Diversify your sources. Seek out independent journalism (𝕏—formerly Twitter—is the only Free Speech platform as of now) and adopt a mindset of skepticism.

Always ask yourself who benefits from this story being told in this way. What facts are being conveniently left out? If you want to graduate from the “sheep level” to truly understand the world, you have to break free from the comfortable confines of mainstream media.

I have some guidance for you here.