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The weight of the media in George W. Bush’s America is characterized by several trends: the remodelling of media ownership, the self-questioning of the journalistic profession, and the weakening of the protections of the freedom of expression. These trends have prepared the ground for the political manipulation of the 9/11 attacks by the New Right and the American executive. This paper examines these various trends, estimating their impact on the editorial control of mainstream media and examining the reality of "the Fox effect" and the gag rule imposed by Patriot Act. It ends with an appreciation of the role of American public opinion, questioning the possibilities of its deception (by politicians) and of its divorce (from the press) while assessing the necessary conditions for a shift from the current skeptical conformity to a real criticism of the politics of George W. Bush’s Administration.