Are the media complicit in the rise of Donald Trump?

You decide.  Here are some excerpts from a Washington Post article with comments from the CEO of CBS:

As Slate’s Jim Newell pointed out in December, each piece of major Trump news is inevitably followed by meta-commentary from journalists themselves condemning their colleagues for lavishing attention on the billionaire real estate mogul...

But with debate viewership larger than it has ever been before, television networks are certainly reaping the benefits of having celebrity merge with politics, even if it means watching the country’s would-be leaders descend into petty trash talk.

Leslie Moonves, the chief executive of CBS, shared a candid view of the presidential race on Monday: “It may not be good for America, but it’s damn good for CBS.”

Speaking at the Morgan Stanley Technology, Media & Telecom Conference in San Francisco, the Hollywood Reporter reported, Moonves hopes to continue indulging in the “bomb-throwing” “circus” of the 2016 election cycle.

“Most of the ads are not about issues. They’re sort of like the debates,” said Moonves. “Man, who would have expected the ride we’re all having right now? … The money’s rolling in and this is fun.”

And he’s not planning on getting off the ride any time soon: “I’ve never seen anything like this, and this is going to be a very good year for us. Sorry. It’s a terrible thing to say. But, bring it on, Donald. Keep going.”