It's funny, a coworker and I were just talking about this today. No, the media can't be trusted. Most media outlets only report what pushes their own agenda/propaganda. You have to take everything you see, everything you read, and everything you hear with a grain of salt. You have to use your own judgment, do your own research, and decide for yourself what's true.
On a side note, I'm not sure what you meant when you said, "I'm 100% for holding the president accountable for everything." I'm assuming you were saying that the media needs to be held accountable as well?
I think the ratings are down because more people are just streaming their media, i.e. Netflix, Hulu, etc. I haven't done any actual research on this subject other than talk to the people in my life. Several of them, as we have, have cut the cord to cable. I'm babbling, sorry. Thanks for the thought provoking post.