Well in the hypernetworked hive mind that is society these days, American News Media plays the role of brain cancer.

Randomly infecting cells to over broadcast, attack each other, focus on noise, unfocus signal etc etc.

Basic prediction about them, whether on the left or right or podcasting from a garage is that they don't contribute to good outcomes and the bad outcomes are not their fault.

Then one year down the road they hand each other Pulitzers for "unravelling" what actually happened.