Indeed in totalitarian societies, reporting the 'truth' can (and has been) life threatening.

In the democratic first world however, there is a more complex relationship between reporters, governments, businesses and their audience.  Years ago, a friend at one of the world's largest public relations firms said that at least 50% of what I read in a paper is a public relations article. 

Public relations isn't just for movie stars and retail - governments and political groups and all sorts use public relations content.  The point is to make you buy into whatever the originator is selling - be it a product, an image, a political viewpoint.

Plus our media is so biased, on both left and right.  The left may claim that the right is spouting 'alternative facts', but what the more progressive media often does to sell their point is to cleverly leave out salient facts.  

All these shenanigans have caused the public to distrust media.  That's the sentiment exploited by the U.S. president.