The narrative is everything. But the funny thing about the "narrative" is that it's not just one thing. There's multiple narratives being spewed onto people all the time.
The word narrative is just another word for story. And the story people have been told doesn't match up with reality. There's many stories, but there's only one truth.
Over time, people will start to see the cracks in the narrative that don't fit with reality. We're already starting to see this happen, for those that are paying attention. Most people are not paying attention and don't think they have any reason to care.