[beagle3]

In the same way, government could ignore the law, fake election results, and whatever - and no one would be wiser, because the only form of mass information distribution, newspapers, are government control.

I suspect the situation had been as bad or worse before radio and television; that throughout history with very minor exceptions, there has not been a functioning democracy anywhere (in the common meaning of the term). I don't find your argument there was one convincing.