The media have no requirement to provide 'truth'.  

They are just a business.  

They have no 'noble calling' or special position of authority.

Hearst and Pulitzer sold newspapers by covering--or inventing-scandals.  Or, in 1898, even starting wars.  Since then, they have been deified because their money pays for awards to media people, totally ignoring the slime they published to make that money.  "Yellow Journalism" was their invention.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Yellow_journalism

Today's media has reverted to type.   

The proliferation of 'reality' shows is because that is where most of the public's interests lie.  

NPR wouldn't have to be subsidized with Federal tax dollars at the same time Bill O'Reilly was being paid $25 million per year if 'the people' wanted something besides shouting heads on CNN, Fox, Breitbart, etc.