media & manipulation

In an algorithmically splintered landscape, it’s rare for one narrative to dominate. Yet, the Beckham saga pierced through because it conjured the perfect conditions for debate. For young people, distrust isn’t just a reaction to the media anymore, but the default setting.

TikTok has established itself as a pillar of contemporary celebrity image formation — with arguably more power than any traditional print publication, gossip or otherwise. Once a particular understanding of a star gains traction on TikTok (usually in the form of narration/commentary on a series of images or clips) it trickles up to the gossip... See more

The Beckham saga is what fragmented media looks like in practice. Without a single source of truth, it takes the shape of parallel stories unfolding simultaneously. What it ultimately reveals is a shift in how meaning is produced for younger generations. Stories are no longer simply reported and accepted, but heavily negotiated, while morality is... See more

The Times piece confirmed what many people suspect, at least in this moment, when it comes to apparatuses of power: that they’re controlled by a nefarious army of people working in the shadows to manipulate the public. Or, when it comes to celebrity: that the public only has access to an outer layer of self and truth. Below, there’s “true” self —... See more

The Beckham saga isn’t just celebrity gossip, but a glimpse into a shattered media landscape where truth isn’t fixed and meaning is crowdsourced. Drama is not only a means of escape, but raw material to be remixed and played with.