In lieu of Donald Trump, and pretty much all the unsuccessful protests around the world, is Western media terrible?

Yes, the western media is terrible. If they didn't report on Trumps antics he wouldn't be this popular at the moment.

Trumps knows how to play to the headlines and the media go along with it all for the ratings.

The media is terrible, because the Free-Market has polluted it, they need to make-money, please shareholders, and pay bonusses to management, but Trump's success isn't because he's being helped, or the press is weak, it's because there's no alternative.

Trump's competition are Ted Cruz, and Marco Rubio, and both have the charisma of a couple of office-clerks that really don't want to be there.

Add to that, that large parts of America is mad, angry, and frustrated, and you have 1 candidate mirroring that, and 2 somehow portraying they're scared(both Cruz, as well as Rubio have addressed fear, but forgotten to mention how they'd fix it).

Trump is spouting non-solutions, but he is 'fight-ready'.

Well, thats why Trump had a tiff with Fox. He said they were using him to make money through advertising and he resented it. He is right. I watch RT which is not corporate TV and they support Bernie. Also France 24, CCTV are good but they dont understand our election.

You really think simply because the media is reporting on him, he is popular? They touted Jeb Bush as well, but he didn't come in second or third?

Its not just his media exposure though is it that makes people want to vote for him, at the end of the day he's still got to say what they want to hear and if he doesn't say it, they don't vote for him.