Self-monetization platforms amplified voices media long underrepresented.

Evidence

This new democracy of self-monetization went hand in hand with an amplification of voices long underrepresented in traditional media. Mommy bloggers tackled taboo topics such as postpartum depression, breastfeeding, and post-childbirth sex. YouTube brought more visibility to a diverse set of creators. In particular, Asian Americans, only 7 percent of the US population, were very well represented among early YouTube stars. Makeup artist Michelle Phan established the popular genre of beauty tutorial videos, and in winning corporate sponsorships and starting her own makeup company, she arguably pioneered the influencer profession. — W. David Marx, Blank Space, 285

Categorization

• XREF: Supports Marx’s omnivore monoculture thesis — diverse voices gain some visibility even as platforms push everyone toward lowest-common-denominator content; connects to the flattening argument. — connects to: QAnon grew through entrepreneurial content creators who monetized channel-hopping audiences — Russell Muirhead and Nancy L. Rosenblum, A Lot of People Are Saying: The New…, 304