I don't think the media/news has been anywhere near trustworthy for a long time. At least not in my lifetime. They are there with their agenda to sell their products and should be treated as such. Turning to corporate global companies driven by advertising revenue for an objective view of the world is like asking the marketing department at McDonald's for dietary advice. As you said, fake news has been a staple for manipulation and control for much longer than any living memory and I am sure that the ancient civilisations would have carved them on their walls too. The solution for the individual is to learn the techniques used in their manipulations and investigate personal weaknesses so as to see what lies behind the smoke and mirrors. Once seen, one can drop it like an unwanted children's toy. Unfortunately, it seems that the entertainment value it provides is too much for many to discard. Rather than do something useful (such as post on Steemit :) ) they prefer to consume the nonsense of others, rarely questioning or thinking but always ready to pick up the next unsubstantiated manipulation and run with it.