This is just an attempt at face-saving on the part of these journos. Trying to worm their way back into relevance, now that the US has the highest distrust in its media of any civilized country. None of them ever had any problem doing what they did, because they were paid to do it. They like influencing people, and no matter what they tell you, journalism has always been about telling others what to think. The decline of journalism in America, and the journalists' waning power of influence has fostered a contempt of the public in them that only furthers this divide.