I don't think the powers-that-be are even being subtle in their manipulation any more. Here in the UK, all the mainstream legacy media act as if they are state controlled (which they effectively are - directly in the case of the BBC, indirectly in the case of the others through the enforcement policies of the regulator, OFCOM).

My solution, however imperfect, is to look as widely as possible. I try to visit foreign news websites, to get different perspectives - often biased, but with a different bias to the uniformity shown by UK MSM. But most telling is that the MSM often sins by omission; it is what they are not talking about that matters. For that, I compare what citizen journalists on social media are discussing compered to the MSM. It's often very illuminating ! Right now, for example the BBC are busy talking about celebrity gossip and almost totally avoiding the private grooming gang enquiry being conducted by an independent MP.