I think “All the President's Men” helped a lot in that regard.

But when I was a student in communication you learn really quickly that it has seldom been like that over the last 160 years. Sex, Blood and Sport sell (and Scandals). This is the three S rules.

Early french newspaper from the industrial revolution (circa. 1860, Paris) were already promoting and enforcing short and concise sentences. And a populist and demagogic style to sell more.

See: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Le_Petit_Journal_(newspaper)#D... and others.