I think the corruption set in when they stopped calling ’em “reporters” and replaced that with “journalists,” which sounds ever so much more professional! Lends a note of credibility, don’t you think?
It’s not so hard to be a reporter. You certainly do NOT need a degree in “Journalism.” High school kids and middle-aged housewives–quite a few of them turned out to be wonderful reporters. I ought to know: I trained them, even as I was trained. You learn about newspapers by working for a newspaper.
You do need common sense, a lively curiosity, and a determination to get at the truth–especially when your radar tells you that your source is lying.
But you don’t need any of those to be a Democrat Party water-carrier.
For that you need “Journalism” school.