I don't think the mass media is any better. I remember the hard pushes for things like low fat diets, ignoring the dangers of sugar and sugary drinks, etc. I don't recall the pre-internet magazine covers being any better or worse than the sorts of things Youtubers push today.
Other than nudity and profanity, are there any standards? Oprah, arguably the biggest and most popular TV star, hosted anti vaccine idiots. And then there are the countless garbage Dr shows peddling their BS.