The main difference between today's NYT / WaPo and that of yore was back then, journos seem to have been able to draw rational inferences and place today's claims into context with what proved to be yesterday's lies.

Now we have "inference-free" journalism; where what should be an obvious inference of government wrongdoing can not be labeled as such -- until and if proved in a court of law or through admission of guilt by the malefactor on national TV.

Today's media watchdogs only bark if the police have already caught the burglar.