When you hear something like "the media must be reformed" it ought to be sending chills down your spine.
Who reforms it? Who decides what is ok and what is not ok? Your version of The State?
The courts--the ones that have always made these decisions. Media used to be held to some semblance of the truth, but what has come out of the MSM in the last 20 years has been nothing short of fiction.
We have laws on libel, slander and such, which have a high bar especially for public figures (and it should). They can and do get sued. And it's not just "MSM" - you have a big blind spot for your own side. We also have a ton of media choices. If you want "reform" - well, go choose another outlet. The readership and market is where any "reform" would come out of.
Journalistic freedom is under more assault around the world these days than at any other time in modern history.
What you call journalistic freedom is "print whatever bs you want." Do you have a degree in journalism? No, didn't think so. And, to short circuit your next question--Yes, I do. ASU, 1968, Defense Information School, Ft. Benjamin Harrison, IN, 1969. What passes for journalism today would be thrown out the back door of ANY reputable news outlet fifty years ago.
Wrong.
What I call journalistic freedom is freedom from political interference (ie the government). We have laws now that cover egregious abuses. How far do you want them to go?
What makes it problematic now is anyone can call themselves a journalist, and print anything without responsibility via the internet, blogosphere, and a host of non-traditional outlets. There is no code of conduct beyond individual ethics. Should there be a crackdown? If so, then what exactly? Who enforces it?
Traditional media outlets can be and are sued. Look at what happened over Seth Rich and Nick Sandmann. But you can't sue them just because you don't like their point of view or because they only report on the nasty stuff you do.
I don't need a journalism degree to know something about journalism, nor frankly, does anyone else here. Yellow journalism is not new.
Edited to add:
Regarding your comment -
What passes for journalism today would be thrown out the back door of ANY reputable news outlet fifty years ago.
I totally agree. There has been a monumental slide since the days of Walter Conkrite. A constant blurring of news and opinion, reckless fact checking, and sloppiness spurred on by what is now the 24-hour news cycle.