What's Happened to our Newspapers and TV News Programs?

Long title, huh?
Well, how else do you begin a discussion on the sad state of affairs the main stream media is in?
Remember the old term, "yellow journalism"? It was a term used to describe a paper, or news broadcast, who sensationalized the news to get readers/listeners. It also stood for an organization that "made up" news for the same purpose.

I can remember when I was a little twerp, reading about the antics of various news reporters who were idolized for their outstanding principles and their strict attention to the truth of the article.
Karl Mauldin was one such hero. He covered WW 2 from Europe to the Pacific theatre. There was never any challenge to the truth of his articles. He had a reputation for explaining the GI in combat--and the GI's loved him for it!
There were many other reporters nearly as well known, right along with the ones who were known for "cheating" on their articles.
But that's another story.

When I was in college, I majored in Journalism. We were taught some very high standards in being truthful. As a sports writer, at the time, I entered the news room to find the entire football team standing around my desk, waiting for me!
And those were some B-I-G dudes, let me tell you!
"What's up guys," I asked. A big finger poked under my nose and a bigger voice said, "Did you write this article", holding it up.
"Um, yas! See? My name is under the headline!"
"How come you're trying to make us look bad?"
"Sorry, I don't have to do that--you're doing a good enough job yourself."
"Listen, we need these stories to help us get scholarships to the bigger schools. Why can't you give us a break?"
"Did you guys win the game?"
"Well, no--but we had some good plays you could have talked about."
"Didn't you fumble the ball on your own 3 yard line, causing your team to lose the game?"
"Everybody fumbles once in a while!"
"Not if they want a good write up, they don't."

The moral of the story is, of course, I could have found "nice" things to say about the team if I had wanted to give the players a false sense of how well they were doing. The result was, there were no more fumbles the rest of the season, even though they lost several more games.

So this is what I learned in college. Tell the truth, even if you don't like it.

Why aren't the MSM doing that now?
And, since they aren't doing that, why aren't they ashamed of themselves?