In my opinion, you have hit on the overarching problem we face. The MSM has been bought-- literally-- and the typical American just does not get it...yet.  We need to go around them.  This has become a small scale personal crusade for me, and I urge all to move this issue to the top of their stack of Things to Do Today.  
Write letters, talk to friends and co-workers, gently help them get comfortable with info sources such as C-Span, DKos, Democracy Now.   It works-- I have seen people come on over through gentle persuasion.