> They sat on the end caps of grocery stores, far away from the News. TV news was regulated and there was a strict ethics code in place.

This is our key point of disagreement, not any of the rest

I strongly disagree that the "Real News" of yesterday was "good information" as I define that. It served the biases of the publishers and writers. It was sensationalist. It strongly censored and suppressed politically incorrect viewpoints, to a degree not seen today. The Overton Window was miniscule. The ethics codes were largely self-serving and inert against its major flaws.

Is this broad generalization based on your experience, or your feelings?

It seems that you may be conflating journalism with news. They are not the same thing.

Curious wow old you are and where you grew up? When did you and where were you when you experienced this singular market bias.