Journalism was mortally wounded when cable news networks emerged (not just the titular one). Objective and investigative coverage shrank to a small percentage of the content, buried by 23 other hours of filler opinions. The repeal of Smith-Mundt simply finalized the transition into propaganda houses.
The media which existed to educate and inform and uncover the misdeeds lurking in the shadows died a long, long time ago. Trump's only role has been to bear such shameless and transparent politicized "judicial" injustices to the point that even the dumbest viewer connects the dots.