The Clinton administration spearheaded the new, emboldened, partisan media types. The constant focus groups, yarn-telling, half truths and such made the media much more adept at it is all. Also, the boomer generation with its hippy dippy anti-war/anti-establishment credos rose to their nadir in the past 15-20 years and are now the senior editors, top reporters, and writers for all the DBM.
The MSM has always been partisan and bias. I see no discernable difference today. I think it turned nasty during the Nixon administration and ever since, they have been trying to replicate Watergate.
When you have Tim Russert, and other Journalists meeting with Kerry senior campaign staff to coordinate coverage. You have CBS Producers coaching Kerry thru multiple takes to get a good sound bite for the evening new, and Rathergate, you NO longer have an “objective” media.
Way past time Conservatives quit taking their political foes propaganda seriously. This is the logical outcome of the change in teaching at the J Schools that started in the late 1980s. There is a thing called "Advocacy Journalism" which says "Journalists" should be public advocates for "the public good". Of course, the obvious problem anyone with a brain could see was that they define "public good' as "anything that validates my personal political opinions". All anyone need to is read the raw story on the wire compared to how it comes out after rewrite to see it. Quotes are selectively edited, or omitted to give a false spin to the story. Who get's quotes is a highly selective process where the quote chossen usual has to do with political spin rather then quality of the story. Forget getting anything put in context. Also forget getting the OTHER side given a chance to rebut the spin. Anyone who things this is the same "News" media that we have always had is simply not paying attention.