Media Cynicism
Journalists are excessively suspicious and critical of political figures and social institutions, especially in the post-Watergate era
Actions of political candidates and elected politicians are attributed to ulterior motives
The road to being a media star is to “take down” some visible public figure.
This excessive criticism leads to political cynicism and feelings of inefficacy -- a “Videomalaise” (M. Robinson)
Correlation among growth in critical coverage, rising political cynicism, and declining rates of political participation.
Media's defense: we're just reporting the truth. We shouldn't conceal the truth about corruption just to "protect" the public