[Alex Murphy]

Thanks. I would put the National Catholic Register, now owned by EWTN, among the newer more orthodox media.

I think what is happening among Catholic media is a "scales falling from the eyes" awakening to the (formerly) incestuous relationship they'd had with the Dems. That's not to say your analysis is wrong, only that the political differentiation has only recently began, and IMO the bishops are having to play catch-up to appear as though they'd been politically conservative the whole time.

[Unam Sanctam]

There is also a generational change going on. The aging liberal post-Vatican II generation is dying out. A lot of their children probably have simply dropped out of the Church and are simply “post-religious” herd-following liberal sheep. For those of the younger generation who are still in the Church, I believe they want something more meaty than feel good warmed over left-wing “social justice” platitudes, and since the seminaries starting with John Paul II have been turning out more orthodox clergy, that helps matters. The younger generation wants the real Jesus and more of that old time religion, IMO.

[Campion]

The National Catholic Register never had much of an "incestuous relationship" with the Dems. The National "Catholic" Reporter, however, is a different story.

(The Reporter, or, as Fr. Z calls it, the Fishwrap, has also been told several times by their bishop to cease calling themselves "Catholic" -- an order which they ignore.)