Going back some decades, a lot of newspapers were staffed with experienced journalists. And they had real editors. And the news cycle moved at a reasonable pace. People actually checked their facts and made sure they had real sources, and verified that what would be published in the morning edition was somewhat reliable.
It was never perfect (”Dewey Beats Truman”) but people had some trust in the news and they weren’t crazy to feel that way.
Television came along and, for awhile, followed a somewhat similar model. Things started moving faster, and propaganda started to be more central, but people still felt the News was worth listening to.
But we are now at the point where good looking people get on the idiot box to spew absolute crap and are shocked when people laugh at them for being stupid.
The News business is an utter joke. Fake News is part of it. But low quality people being stupid is another part of it.
It’s more fundamental than that. The “news” business drives out anyone who exhibits any signs of healthy skepticism, regardless of one’s political orientation.