"The press" is so thoroughly compromised here that "press freedom" can be a bit of a distraction. I watched a "national" newscast yesterday with my dad; it was 100% local-type "news": fires, car accidents, human interest, etc. Meanwhile we're in multiple wars and are theoretically in negotiations to avoid multiple other wars. Meanwhile the big banks we bailed out are bigger than ever. Meanwhile we have more people in prison than any other nation on Earth, in the history of Earth. Etc. Did some judge or other official order NBC Nightly News to do such a thoroughly shitty job? Of course not, but that doesn't mean they're aren't incentives of some sort coming from the State.

If I want to know what our military or TLAs are doing, I don't consult an American source. This isn't a conspiracy; it is simply the case that American media conglomerates have decided they make more money catering to the shallow. It's not a problem for thoughtful news consumers: there are lots of other places for news. Perhaps I am naive, but I don't think our courts are so far gone that they're going to let anyone shut out TI, AJ, RT, various independent journalists, etc. Even if the courts did go along with such an effort, it seems doomed to fail.

That isn't to say that journalists have nothing to complain about. Telling the truth isn't the way to succeed in this field, at this time.