On the supposed evils of state run media

Now, to most here it is a given that state news organizations are evil, corrupt and generally worthless.
Well, here's the English version of Russia's state news agency's online publication.
Granted it's skimpier than the Russian language versions, but the stories are the same from what I see.
The only major difference I see between it and, say, BBC's site is that it focuses on Russia and is written in somewhat awkward language (as is BBC's Russian site, for that matter).
Please discuss state run media and their image in the world today, one that I believe is unfairly tarnished.

They will be no more or less prone to bias than privately run media - look at FOX News or the average tabloid newspaper - what matters is that non-state-run media are also permitted to operate without restriction in rivalry, just as competing private news-services may offer reporting with different slants and focus. If ALL media is state-run - if there is no other media allowed - then that is clearly unacceptable. People would never believe a word they heard or read relating to anything that might reflect on the government's effectiveness and dealings.