*very simple and obvious "No we don't accuse leftist antiwar journalists of being secret agents for foreign governments"*

Even simpler, and doesn't open up leftie indie media to being accused of partisanship:

"No we don't accuse antiwar journalists of being secret agents for foreign governments"

Thank you.

"It's not okay to smear antiwar journalists as secret agents of a foreign government."

For sure. And it's not ok to distract from that point, or avoid an apology that would have earned them back some lost respect & probably increased membership, by tangenting into a myriad of other accusations & topics, without addressing the accusation that got them into this mess.