(Why carry ridiculous stories with a lack of evidence)
I don't know of other countries, but my opinion of the USA.
I'd suppose the situation has been better and worse. Depending on time and location throughout history.
Depending on technology, laws, society values, Goals.
I vaguely recall reading of the recent TV era, of there being a lot of control on the networks, censorship of sex and curse words for example, or even 'suggestive of such scenes.
Films as well, used to have more censorship and oversight, I 'think.
. . . I don't 'think it was 'cheap to produce the news. Though even without a ton of money people could hand out or sell pamphlets or pool their money for an ideological paper.
. . . I've heard of Communist pamphlets and newspapers in history, I don't remember Communist Radio or TV, until they managed to take over a country.
Not that Communist Radio or TV did not exist before they took over a country.
In America, I think TV News at least, worked a lot more hand in hand with the American government, until maybe Vietnam, where there was a break between the two?
I'd have to read up on it.
I think that was also around the time of Civil Rights.
As I think about Civil Unrest, now I'm just speculating, I'm sure News and Government had disagreements before Vietnam, but during and after Vietnam is also the Hippie Era.
Audience change.
The two political parties also used to be more in step with one another, Tip O'Neill I've read about before.
Polarization of politics, Politicians don't work together to control the news,
They use the news as weapons against each other.
Not that they 'didn't fight before, but situation became worse maybe.
Every time a standard falls, other standards fall with them, sometimes.
And then we have the internet,
'Every User 'Is the 'News.
Competition, maybe it could have gone two ways, higher standards, or lower standards.
Lot of 'News Companies, I wouldn't even 'call News Companies, they're talk shows.
But concepts bleed into one another.
But I think the News wants to be heard first, not heard as most correct.
Not to say that there are 'no standards, or 'no good news companies.
But standards over time have fallen, and market is bigger. I think.