They are just giving their audience what their audience demands. I don't see anything wrong with this. There are a company that has employees to pay.
I think people just need to come to grips with one simple fact: The average human being, not just American, is not interested in politics, Science, or even business. They are more interested in things they can related to. Justin Bieber is someone that many Americans can related to, and that is why he is so popular. I am sure that millions more people are interested in Justin Bieber than they are in Political news.
At 30, I am no longer a young person, and I do not have the disease of a young mind. I don't live in a fairytale world where I fantasize about boundless possibility for the future of mankind.
I have learned to lower the bar of my expectations for the average human. Once you have this mindset, somewhat disturbing trends in media and politics will always seem to make sense.