Plenty of idiots to hoodwink, but most people just don't care enough to pay attention. Only around 13% watch broadcast news, while ~45% get their political news from television in general, apparently. Smartphones and computer devices is where over 86% get their news, so that can encompass any online sources.
Only 3% get their news from print media. 18% social media for news updates.
They have influence, but the covering up for the left is their major fault, and we just let them do so. Their credibility has cratered and influence waned, and that's been obvious for a long while.
The liberal audience laughing at Colbert's mention of CNN “Report the news, as is” was quite telling. To me it denotes society wide acknowledgment across the entire political spectrum of CNN's bias in favor of the left, which is easily extensible to the rest of our MSM.
its not even Labor Day...geez, relax bro.