Part of it is that there was a "technical" mindset to it in the past. It was always fake in the sense that it was ultimately designed to push some powerful group or person's agenda with a veneer of respectability, but there were lots of people in the field who actually believed in the false image and tried to do their best. It's degradation tracks with much of the degeneracy of the Western world. As feminine voices gained prominence and power, masculine, technical minded people left the field. Any attempt at making it a "hard science" type industry was lost and it's become all about feels and what the collective wants. Instead of "holding truth to power" it's "identify the biggest Alpha in the room and do their bidding".

Anyway this interview always comes to mind when asked if we were lied to as much in the past: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UwerBZG83YM