Streaming Was Supposed to Democratize Culture. Instead, It Made Culture More Conditional.
Representation and access both depend on platform priorities — and priorities change. For much of the streaming era, companies sold audiences a vision of abundance. More stories. More voices. More access. Netflix, Hulu, Disney+, and others positioned themselves as alternatives to Hollywood’s old gatekeepers. Algorithms would surface overlooked creators. Libraries would be endless. Representation would…
