The news organizations had to sell papers during WWII, too.

Sure, they reported bad news as well as good, but you got the impression from newsreels, radio announcers, and the copywriters that they really wanted our side to win. When there were defeats, they were unhappy. When there were victories, they rejoiced with the audience. I've heard tapes.

That's not the impression I'm getting now from most of our media. Oh, the news guys may puff up like a blowfish and protest that we're questioning their patriotism, and all the rest, but the hypothetical question remains: If they were actually getting paid hard cash by the Baathists to slant the news, how would what we are reading now look any different?