I think maybe you're attributing to malice what can more easily be attributed to the fact that most journalists these days wanted/want to become creative writer

I think maybe you're attributing to malice what can more easily be attributed to the fact that most journalists these days wanted/want to become creative writers, but that doesn't pay consistently so they became journos with the intent to write their novel in their spare time, but then realized they can just scratch the creative writing itch as part of their day job.