I think that the notion of “folk music” has always been commercialized by recording companies, radio stations, TV and other media. The difference today is that at least here in the States, the musical culture is being monopolized more than it has ever been before. At the same time, a renewed interest in folk music here is being undertaken by young people but is denied access to the public who is unaware of the enormous talent that exists away from the media. I believe that now more than ever it is a concerted effort to repress music that is not commericial by business interests away even from the traditional music industry which is coopted by Silicon Valley and areas of private enterprise. I think of it as the Walmartization of music. You really have to spend time and energy on ferreting out good music now.
The general public is deprived of it.

When this occurred during the late Fifties, college concerts were prevalent and people like Pete Seeger were opening up new pathways for good music to reach the public. There were coffee houses and small venues available. Today, Covid shut many of these venues down. The situation might be different in Britain, Scotland, Ireland or Wales or Australia but in the US, you see this diminishing availability of new important talent reflected in movie companies such as Netflix, and outlets for classical music and jazz. There is a kind of cancel culture being spread that overlaps into the artistic communities fostered by private business interests. My point it that it is more extreme now than it has ever been.

Solution: encourage people to participate more in music by learning to play it. As this is done, a taste for music is developed and not minimized.
The analogy would be a grass roots participation in local political and social activity rather than going along mindlessly with the popular culture. This is why Mudcat is so valuable.