I suspect it has always been the case that a large number of Americans have been uninvolved and either incapable or unprepared to deal with complex and critically important issues.
One of the things that seems different from the past though, is that liberals are much more bold in lying. I post on a site with a number of liberals, and some are just blatant and unrepentant liars. And I don't mean they just say something I don't like or disagree with, they write things that are demonstrably false.
You are absolutely, unequivocally correct. I think it started in the 80s but in 1991 I realised something was terribly wrong and we had a propaganda organ instead of news when Bill Clinton's ethical problems were not reported. However, Bob Dole's saying cigarettes were not addictive was harped upon for days, etc.