I disagree on how much they're motivated by their consumers but agree with your point about there not being a nefarious agenda. I don't think there's an evil cabal trying to manipulate the masses but I do think there are specific agendas which can't be deviated from.

CNN getting Trump on was purely for viewers but CNN anchors (Cooper et al) weren't happy about it. CNN has its own left-wing agenda undoubtedly. As does Fox with a right-wing agenda. I'm not in the US but even I can see that. Trump was guaranteed to pull in viewers and last I saw CNN viewership numbers are in the gutter.

Before the internet, mass media controlled the narrative so there was less need for moral outrage but the media was used to swing public opinion on various events. E.g. Weapons of mass destruction in Iraq.

It's not just news media either. It's corporates in the form of public relations.