Is someone holding the media's family hostage?

In the first few seasons of my favorite television show, "24", there was usually a plotline where someone was forced to do something that they didn't like, because a family member was being held hostage.

Watching the news lately, I'm convinced that someone in the Obama administration is holding hostage a family member from each news outlet.
That's the only reason that I can possibly think of for why the press has stopped asking questions.

For instance, here is a CNN article on the president-elect's spending bill of nearly a Trillion dollars. The focus of the article? How Obama is going to get rid of earmarks!

Banning earmarks -- usually pet projects of Congress members inserted in money bills unrelated to the projects -- is one of several steps the president-elect wants to take with the stimulus bill.

What do you notice about the sentence, above?
I'll give you a hint: Its missing the words 'according to the president-elect', or 'the president-elect says'. It unquestionably accepts the idea that Obama is getting rid of earmarks.
For those of us who have taken journalism classes, its a blaring ommision.
Go there and read the article. Tell me where the reporter left the building, and where they just let Obama's PR person write the article as a press release. Heck, compare it with this AP article, which uses the proper "Obama said" venacular.

Speaking of AP, here is an AP story on Obama's recovery plan.

Washington bureaucrats have a reputation for being able to spend taxpayer money real fast. But, believe it or not, spending it fast enough is one of the biggest hurdles President-elect Barack Obama's team faces in putting together an economic recovery measure.

Yes, you read that right. According to AP... Obama needs to spend money. Quick!
I've never known a Democrat to get into office and forget to spend money. But I guess its possible that the Democratically run congress won't approve of the spending fast enough?
Here's a trick: name a congressional democrat who has objected to government spending.

The point is that the media has gone from cheerleading for Obama to actively working as an Obama spokesperson. Which should make everyone kind of wary, unless someone is actually holding their family member hostage.