I thought they were the Fourth Estate as Branch of the Government who were supposed to keep watch on the other branches as a form of checks and balances. At least that what they’ve been telling themselves in order to receive the privileged status to lie and do all sorts of crimes with impunity, like the government. So it is true. The Fourth Estate is a Fifth column.
By my reckoning, the msm went from “liberal bias” to “active member of the regime” in early 08.