In the past, media was top-down (studios told us what was popular). Today, it is bottom-up. Popular media is now driven by .

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Popular media creates urgency. When a clip from a new series goes viral on YouTube Shorts or Reddit, it signals scarcity. "Everyone is talking about this; you need to watch it tonight."

Algorithms on popular media platforms are optimized for virality. A single viral clip or soundbite from a television show can expose the property to demographics that traditional advertising could never reach.