I think this comes close to accusing an umbrella seller of conspiring with the weather because she happens to push umbrellas when it rains and switches to selling lemonade when it's hot. I think the NYT and Salon both have readerhips and understand them and try to ride waves of interest.

I think there are coincidences and occasionally there could be coercion (don't publish on account of national security) but I do not see it as "an organ of the gov't". It's self interest. In other words it's not comparable to XinHua News, as you're implying.

W/re ME revolutions. All those examples were in places where the outcome was nearly inevitable (needed some logistical/moral support) and the US/EU didn't want to appear to be on the 'wrong side' of history. Witness CN and RU. Specially RU tends to pour arms into those conflicts to upset the West, to some extent --I don't fully understand their intent but they are unsuccessful in much but delaying the inevitable.