Actually, the media was often the enemy during WW2 as well. Think of the Patton slapping incident. We nearly lost the use of a fine commander for something completely reasonable.
The media didn’t back WW2 until “Uncle Joe” got involved. Even then, they looked for ways to downplay the US. In Korea, media coverage was obscene.
Slapping a GI by a General Officer is not, nor has it ever been reasonable. This is not the Red Army or the Japanese Army.