If that is true, then there is your problem right there. A firm and stable democracy requires a large group of people with good education, political influence and capital. In other words, bourgeoisie.
The 'major investors' should be this bourgeoisie. They should be with many, to ensure political discussion is actively supported throughout all layers of society. If this group shrinks, and there are fewer people with larger capital and influence, there is no incentive for political discussion, and thus no incentive for a healthy democracy.
The major investors do not want the discussion, as they can easily discuss with the few of them. The proletariat do not want the discussion, cause they either do not have the education, or do not have the capital to organize it.
Then the media is more and more reduced to propaganda and perception management from the 'major investors'.
Democracy is not merely the freedom to vote. It is the open discussion in which everyone can participate and contribute with their knowledge and perspectives.
The snake is eating itself. What is most dangerous about the current situation is now how easy it is to pull the natural strings of the western world order. Democracy. The ballot referendum. How you "vote" with your dollar. All of these things could always have been tightly influenced and controlled, but this was done more or less through an indirect incentive structure that favored existing large investment.
Now, anything is able to use these social media tools to run around existing capital structure and get whatever message out to voters and consumers directly. What captures the consciousness now isn't necessarily a consensus of an economies major investors, but simply whatever is able to abuse the viral phenomenon the best at the time and in the context.
Coupled with the ease of generating high quality propaganda of any shape or form through various publicly released tools, we are in for interesting times, for sure.