Whilst being on the other side of the "pond" I am rooted in the traditional song base of the 60/70s

Pete Seeger/Almanac singers/Weavers ~ reprints from Sing Out and all the early UK folk singers ~ Copper family/Fred Jordan/Sam Larner/Harry Cox and the traditionalist singers such as Cyril Tawney and Keith Marsden all have a place still in my understanding and folk song being

I sing mainly traditional songs from England, but have one or two songs of Social history of more recent years

I do think that whilst musicianship has improved greatly over the last 30 yrs "folk" has to some extent been highjacked by more navel gazing contemporary folk singers, some songs have their place in folk, but some may be more pop based, good as they are! (UK)

That is no doubt down to taste, but surely folk should be more purposeful? and not musak? Industrial songs, Social unrest, Social history, political and the voice of the people, maybe
Ray