"I am not sure what has you so irritated..."
I just hate cheap shots at easy targets. You can usually count on me to jump in with a devil's advocate defense when you start blasting away (using only vague assertions) at someone that nobody likes.
I disagree with you completely on the press' role. Reporting news is just about the only responsibility they have. Now if you want to go about changing their mind about how smart their target audience is, I will support you. But constant whining about them behind their backs is tiresome to me.