The legacy media had a decades-long run as the gatekeeper of information. Its rigorous editorial standards and meticulous fact-checking ensured impartiality and reliability. A bastion of objective facts and civic issues, the legacy media was considered a crucial bulwark of democracy. 

In the US, this era was personified by figures like Walter Cronkite, who helped launch the CBS Evening News and served as its anchor for two decades. His succinct and authoritative nightly signoff was, “and that’s the way it is”. Far beyond a journalistic signature, this phrase was a promise of factual accuracy. A 1972 poll underscored his monumental influence by naming him America’s most trusted public figure. 

Cronkite’s commentary on the Vietnam War became a seminal moment in American journalism. His aspersions about the War became a turning point in altering public opinion. It also helped legitimize dissent against US involvement in the protracted conflict. This period demonstrated the immense power a trusted media figure held in shaping national consensus and holding the government accountable.

Following in the footsteps of such figures, a generation of journalists published extremely consequential investigative stories. The most famous example remains the Watergate expose. The meticulous reporting by journalists Carl Bernstein and Bob Woodward revealed a web of political espionage and cover-ups. It ultimately forced President Nixon out of office. This impactful story, depicted in the Academy Award-winning movie “All the President’s Men”, earned The Washington Post a Pulitzer Prize. 

However, with time, public trust started eroding. The decline began when elements of the media appeared to compromise their core strengths of independence, accuracy, and impartiality. A significant........

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