NDD- Great post, you have obviously thought a bit about (Morons Searching for Meaning). While I agree with your analysis of the situation I disagree with the remedies you suggest and, here is why.
It has been my very limited experience with students, journalists and MSM folks that, the problem begins in college. It seems that journalism more often than not is being taught as more of a political philosophy course rather than the art and science of newspaper/media writing and reporting. That philosophy for the most part appears to be a little left wing/anti anything about the USG. There also seem to be more than a few folks in that career field that willing, if not eager (tinfoil hats etc) to entertain a myriad of conspiracy theories.
We would be shoveling sand against the tide unless and until we get a handle on our education system. I have faith in the great American middle class while many do not recognize a lot of the BS MSM shovels at them, I believe(Hope is more like it) that they will not give away the store based on what the MSM tells them.
The second problem I have with your suggestion is that in the few polls I have seen, only the MSM polls either equal to or lower than Congress in public trust. The military is consistently considered one of the most highly regarded institutions in the US. I feel it would be a mistake to waste that credibility in fighting with the MSM.
There is that old saying about "not getting in a pissing contests with a skunk!"
Third- It appears that the younger generations have already gotten the message. Alternative communications (blogs, you tube, email etc) everything except TV, newspapers and the MSM are their sources of news. The MSM has not been able to get inside the attention/information cycle the young folks I work and live with seem to use as their basis for decision making. Even at work, most of the folks that seem at all engaged with the MSM are 40+. By the time the MSM execs or whoever makes the decision on a story, the teenagers & 20 somethings I observe, appear to have moved on to something else. That is if they even acknowledged the MSM story in their first place. Granted, OIF has their attention but, I have heard many of them comment on how generally unreliable the MSM is. That is by no means an accurate poll, just comments I found pleasently surprising.
Fourth- I don't think it would be the best use of DoD assets to get into a "metrics" battle with the media. Eventually The military would probably want a new MOS for those soldiers. The next thing would be "special combat media metrics training" then, probably a new career field and, before you know it another General/Flag rank command billet.
Noslack