There may have been more respect by journalists for their audience and country in the past, but I fear we would have deeply into our history.
For instance, a now defunct Chicago newspaper reported during WWII that the US had broken the Japanese code after the Battle Of Midway. Our military had a heck of a time during Iwo Jima due to that report. The editor had an ax to grind with FDR.
Walter Cronkite and the Tet offensive.
That's just two examples and there are many more.
It is just so out in the open that the “power of the pen” rules, they have become proud and blatant.
we would have “to dig” deeply