I don't follow US media all that closely, so I don't know enough to comment sorry. I think maybe you are leading to the thought that they still influence public actions through the media, and I'm sure that's true.
I'm being told that other countries carry their communication in a much more rational way, but I haven't been able to confirm this (hence the question).
https://morningconsult.com/2020/04/08/dr-fauci-is-voters-pre...