We still suffer from the delusion that the news is the “product” these broadcasters offer and that we viewers are the “customers”.

Their business is to sell advertising time. That is their product. Their customers are the advertisers who buy time during thier broadcasts.

Their content is just window dressing to attract viewers to the advertising so they can charge higher rates. Anything that keeps their target audience glued to the screen is fair game.

And “Tree-Hugging Hippies Trash Public Park” is just the sort of thing that keeps them tuned in.