When I see people refer to people who use the internet to get a broader perspective on world events, as being brainwashed by propaganda...

Yeah, it's the people that take their time to get information from multiple sources and don't believe everything without question to the point that they contradict themselves that are the brainwashed ones.

It's definitely not the people who believe absolutely everything a small number of state sponsored mega corporations who just want money say and are unable to even explain their beliefs who are the ones brainwashed by propaganda.

Could have sworn that looking through history, the propagandists were the big governments or corporations who were hostile to any sort of free exchange of information as that could threaten their power or money.