There is nothing bizarre here except maybe that your thinking.  The MSM is quite willing to dispense with facts, fact checking, and the accuracy of their source as long as it enhances the narrative they wish to preach.  The day of neutral reporting has passed.  Worse, as Ben Rhodes, points out, most of the reporters have huge gaps of knowledge and experience.    They are unable to perform simple sanity checks on what they report.  This whole idea that the press is a part of the government's "checks and balances" is nonsense.  For one thing, there is no real check on their reporting.  The three CNN reports let go is the tiny exception, not even close to a rule.