I'd agree with the financial constrictions angle
seeing as most media outlets are just AP recycling machines nowadays, but I'm not sure that corporate interests are bothered about anything but the bottom line - sales/advertising.
( wotofco pissing in your swimming pool, Thu 16 Dec 2010, 17:10, 1 reply)

it's that or journalists are simply lazy
I'm pretty certain that papers now employ one proper 'hack' (no doubt as per some obscure union regulation) and have outsourced the business of topping & tailing press releases.
( multijoy, Thu 16 Dec 2010, 23:20, closed)

Nah, it's finances
why pay for decent investigative journalists when you can get a work experience kid to rejig AP copy?
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Flat_earth_news gives a pretty depressing account of how newsgathering has changed over the past 20 years or so.
( wotofco pissing in your swimming pool, Fri 17 Dec 2010, 0:00, closed)