The world has entered a post truth era, facts that are have been supplanted by "alternate facts" that should be true and will be taken as true for the sake of appearances, disregarding logic and practicality for the sake of social acceptability.
for example
Fact: men and women are physically and emotionally different
Desirable Alt fact: men and women are not different in anything but the most superficial accidents of birth and therefore should be treated as if those difference don't exist even if that endangers lives and efficiency.

I think that the news media in general is more interested in ratings then it is in telling the truth. Major news media would rather smear someone, create outrageous narratives to fit contexts in which they frame their story in order to get people to watch it. Dramatic news sells their narrative.

This is not solely an American issue. The antisemitism smears leveled against Jeremy Corbyn by UK's media suggest (to me) that it is much easier to smear someone like Corbyn then it is to confront the issue of antisemitism. The media sells a narrative to entice people by any means necessary in order to turn a profit.

The media's dramatic stories about Venezuela is a paradigm case of the government's efforts to subvert a democratically elected government with the public's acquiescence by media reports. Abby Martin has an excellent take on this:

This is an interesting take on American mindset. I often wonder about the news that we ourselves receive through our press and TV news reports. Is there actually ever such a thing as unvarnished truth? The news is reported to us through the filter of others viewpoints....the editorials in particular are slanted to the political viewpoint of the publications ‘ proprietors. We tend to only buy and read newspapers which reflect our own views and reinforce our own political stance. I like to take my TV news from a variety of different channels, but often wonder if we are getting only one side of many reports.