When we're talking about the mainstream media, we're basically talking about network television news, cable TV and whatever's left of the octogenarian crowd that's still reading newspapers. There was a time that institutions like the New York Times and the big three networks had (by comparison) fairly high standards for their news divisions. They hired journalists, revealed truths and reported actual news.
These days, when you watch someone like Jake Tapper ask the GOP candidates what they think their Secret Service handle should be--- One has to wonder if Walter Cronkite is not rolling over in his distinguished grave or vomiting with rage at the thought that this guy actually passes for a "newsman" these days.
And CNN tries to ride the middle, not that it succeeds. It's more like one of those pathetic court characters in a period drama that takes place in royal court and the CNN character rushes to serve whoever appears the most powerful at that moment. Very rarely, it goes off script to cover a ratings grabber, mostly plane crashes, but any kind of misery will do. If it bleeds, it leads, as they say.
In the not-so-middle-of-the-road department we have Fox News, which, if it was any more Orwellian, might actually insist that all it's affiliates be on a channel with the actual numbers 1984. The "fair and balanced" news organization has been parodied on the Simpsons and Family Guy, which is tough, since they're already a parody of news organization to begin with. I'd have way more respect for Roger Ailes if he just changed the name to RNN, the Republican News Network.
Then there's the Democrat version, MSNBC. Like their political party, they try and copy their more successful rival and only seem to manage to disappoint their fanbase which expected more. At least Fox News was so blatant about it. You'd have to be passed out drunk under a pick up not to see the bias. MSNBC's transformation was sneaky, slow. I had several liberal friends that defended it for years and it wasn't all that bad during the Bush Administration. But now? C'mon. And most of its defenders feel very burned because they defended them.
And network news? Are they even trying? So over-polished and over-presented--- Who exactly is this for now? People who like watching things they learned on their phones four hours ago? People who enjoy fewer details in a news story than Yahoo News?
And talk about compromised news anchors! Wolf Blitzer used to work for AIPAC, the 2nd largest political lobby in Washington. Christiane Amanpour is married to a former Assistant Secretary of the State Department during the Clinton Administration. Andrea Mitchell of MSNBC is married to former Fed Chairman, Alan Greenspan. Not to mention that a lot of these bigwigs travel in the same circles, go to the same parties--- How are you supposed to sustain an adversarial relationship with the government you're supposed to expose and keep in check if you're canoodling with everyone that works there?
The answer is, you can't. Money, fame, power--- It corrupts everyone in enough doses. And once you've had a taste of the high life, are you really going to risk losing it over "news story"? The answer for most of the Mainstream Media is no.
As crazy, weird and sometimes unreliable as it is, I'll stick with my Internet news sources, thank you.