Tracking the decline …

… ‘A Cesspool of Narcissistic Insular Self-Gratification': How the Mainstream Media Squandered the Public's Trust (and How To Win It Back.

They are geographically (and culturally) isolated from the vast majority of Americans. They are highly credentialed, prone to "egotism and self-absorption," loath to admit mistakes and correct them. They're just as lazy and incompetent as the rest of us, increasingly susceptible to perverse financial incentives. They've been absorbed into The Establishment, grown too cozy and incestually involved with the powerful figures they're supposed to be scrutinizing, too aloof and even hostile toward the public they're supposed to serve.