<p>Two days after its release, my analysis of the Epstein files was on track to break every record on this channel. Then the yellow dollar sign appeared, and the video flatlined.In this video, we explore how algorithmic demonetization has evolved into a form of &quot;soft censorship.&quot; It isn&#39;t a conspiracy, but a broken business model that taxes serious journalism in favor of &quot;brand safe&quot; entertainment. We look back at the Logan Paul &quot;Adpocalypse,&quot; examine the structural bias against independent creators, and analyze the alarming decline of U.S. Press Freedom (now ranked #57 globally).From the missing footage in Epstein&#39;s cell to the 2020 spike in journalist arrests, we ask the hard question: If the algorithm filters out the &quot;boring&quot; work of holding power to account, does YouTube cease to be a digital public square?<br></p>