In the past, a lot of news outlets were prestige buys by the super wealthy. They would buy a news outlet so they could make sure that they have a place that will say everything they want to hear being said. This often allowed for some objectivity over subjects that the magnate didn't care about, but it put very strict limits on the ones that the magnate did.

Plus, the news has always been majority sponsored by publicity, and news rooms have always been careful to print or broadcast narratives that sit well with the people who give them the money. Few things have really changed in these dynamics.