Why is media power shifting to creators?

Media power is shifting to creators because audiences now pick the source directly, and they pick people over institutions. I see independent newsletters, podcasts, and communities outrunning legacy outlets for attention and trust: CNN primetime pulls 87,000 viewers, 1 independent podcast pulls 11 million an episode. I built my own media on this exact shift, 100% independent with zero sponsors: 1 edition of Math Man Magazine, 6.4 million views, zero agency. As AI slashes production costs, gatekeepers lose their grip and creators inherit the room.