Fauci said whether people should be wearing them because of covid at the time, when there was a shortage on them and they were yet unproven for use in the general public. On the other hand, it was proven that masks need to be used by health care workers, and that the public has proven options in dealing with viruses: hand washing and social distancing. It makes perfect sense why health officials would advise against an unproven method, especially considering the shortage on PPE. Now that the shortage has passed and new evidence has come to light, of course the stance changes. That's how time and research works.
And what ever you think about Fauci, this is OT because Fauci is not a representative of the media. Unless your argument is that the media shouldn't cover what US top health officials are saying during a pandemic?