The media is the media. I have not expected them to be anything less then they are. Today most of the information we get is filtered through New York, Washington or Los Angeles. They apply the world veiw they have from those places. The rest of the country rely on AP, UPI, or Reuters wire feeds to fill the space of the local papers. The fact that GMA would address the Cadets incorrectly should be of no surprise because it is as foriegn to them as Alaska.
Last night Saturday Night Live did a paraody of the New York Times. They had the news staff of 50 reporters assembled preparing them to secretly descend on Alaska to get the dirt on Gov. Palin. As they went through the challenges of Alaska people were dismissed becuase of the hardship an Alaska Assignment would cause (no cross gender bathrooms, no Thai food delivery, having to drive a vehicle with a manual transmission, being attacked by Polar Bears). When they were finished 3 reporters remained. As they closed the recap showed their experience in Alaska (one sued the Mayor of Fairbanks Millions of $ for calling her honey, one was eaten by a Polar Bear and the last one got a Pulitzer for writing a story about Todd Palin's incentious relationship with his daughter(ala Jason Blair). Problem is while they thought it was funny satirical humor in reality it is how the New York Times veiws Alaska and Middle America.
Stranger still is why it takes the National Enquirer to break the story of John Edwards relationship with Riley after the real journalists hide the story for a year, but they will rush to print stories about Bristol Palin. This is done because it fits their world veiw (The Palins belong on Jerry Springer and John Edwards is really good guy who deserves a break).