First of all, it is because the press is "free" that it is able to serve as cheerleaders for one side or the other, if you insist on seeing it that way (I think it depends on which outlet you are referring to. But I'd disagree strongly with anyone who says the WSJ is all about cheering on the Don, or the NYT or WP or even CNN are all about cheering on the opposition to the Don). Otherwise, the WSJ would be fine and the NYT would be going to jail, or worse. I know the Trumpie side - and maybe you're with them on this - loves to demonize the press as messenger rather than debating the message. And they have a collective orgasm when they actually catch a mistake, or an inappropriate tweet that wasn't subjected to formal editorial review - but IM very strong O, all you are doing is showing how effective Trump is in wearing people down with his endless attacks on those who are acting as watchdogs. Reporting things he wants hidden.

So he calls them the enemy. Just my opinion, but in this thread, you are kind of passively complicit with him in that effort. But we're actually getting a little off topic here. We can reasonably disagree about whether left of center "MSM" outlets like the "failing NYT" are cheerleading or performing their watchdog role. I'd be raging less over that. That has nothing to do with assigning blame to them for the awful events on Aug 12 that traumatized the city of C-Ville and the University community, and most importantly, took three lives.

They are not to blame, full stop, not one little bit, even if I were to agree that they cheerlead rather than report more than they should. That's scapegoating; that's a signpost for the road to autocracy.