Which only happened after they tried every despotic move to protect their organs of power and collectivist ideology. That included complete control and promotion of state-run media and propaganda (sound familiar?) Maybe that will eventually happen here. But that's a completely different issue from NY Times being censured or penalized in this particular case.
Correct. Its much easier to get The Slimes censored and penalized than it ever was against Pravda.
For one thing we don't have the NKVD carrying one off to the gulags or for a midnight assassination yet.