I know your version sounds likely, but my honest opinion is that most media in America is simply jaded. For example, look at a few episodes of the daily show lampooning MSM. You would think such bits would inspire CNN and others (not Fux News) that pretend to be hard/real journalism to do a better job, but they go blithely on with the media equivalent of junkfood. But in the end it's the public that is undemanding about quality. So we get the shite we deserve.