The Catholic church was the media of Europe for hundreds of years. Almost all of academia was tied to the institutions of the church and becoming a monk or priest offered social mobility to people that were essentially living hand to mouth existence in serfdom. The entire worldview of the lay people up to the nobles was formed by people beholden to the positions held by Rome. Heretics were excommunicated, tortured, or executed.

That is what is happening today. The new church is that of Neoliberalism and the people in the media are all preachers of that doctrine and tasked with forced conversions to that ideology. Heretics are kicked off social media, cancelled etc.

But, just like back then, there will be a protestant reformation and most likely numerous wars.