I've been using reddit since the big Digg 2.0 migration. It is disappointing to see the popular/frontpage subreddits become such a bubble. In r/pics, for example, most of the top pics have a clear political slant. I'm not sure how much of that is intentional propaganda versus just what happens when content is based on how a majority of its users vote. I miss the days when it was mostly harmless advice animal memes.
Oh it's most certainly propaganda combined with karma farming. Ever notice how there is a steady steam of anti-trump content, contrasted with pleasant photos of Obama with a title harkening back to the good old days of his administration? You'll also notice that these posts get savaged in the comment section and yet still have 80% positive upvote ratings?
If you see something you suspect is propaganda on r/pics, just ask yourself, what is the user who submitted it trying to make me feel? What associations are they trying to form in my mind between the subject of the photo and the title?
The most noticeable switch happened in 2015 before the election; it was like night and day. Propaganda companies were hired and went to town and all the default subs were taken over. Elections are every 4 years so they are on permanent hire now.
