Journalism, like all forms of mass media, is a form of entertainment. It can occassionally inform, but "if it bleeds [it is exciting], it leads". Journalists and editorial staff who understand this wind up doing well. Journalists who are just trying to inform people wind up getting side-lined.

Also relevant is this: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Michael_Crichton#Gell-Mann_amnesia_effect