Former journalist here, so I may be biased, but I think a lot of people think of "the press" as if it's one thing, when in reality there is a vast, vast spectrum of quality across different news outlets. Unfortunately, as with other negative stereotypes, a few bad impressions is all it takes for some people to attribute those stereotypes to the whole group. But having spent time behind the scenes, I would say that most people who make journalism their profession really do try very hard to be accurate, especially when it comes to quoting people. Mistakes happen, yes, but aside from some bottom-feeders who don't care about accuracy as long as it sells, most of the journalists I know see theirs as a public-service profession. Certainly they're not in it for the money.