The incident of the story about STELLARWIND (what is SOLARWIND?) being held back from publication by the NYT for one year at the urging of the Bush administration[1] is the evidence of the US media being inhibited from running stories about the security follies. The question is not why they were able to publish, it's why did they have to wait one year to do so? They could (and should have?) published immediately.
That one year delay is what Snowden referred to when he was asked why he didn't go the NYT. That's why he gave the leaked docs to a heavily biased blogger turned journalist instead of a "legitimate" news outlet.
1. I believe the words of the Bush people to the NYT were that if they published they would "have blood on [their] hands".
I'm afraid they lost me at that point.
I doubt anyone there is going to lose sleep over exposing a mere 6 million pieces of personally identifiable information. No one will get fired.
"Dumb fucks." - Mark Zuckerberg, referring to Facebook users who sent him their personal details