I don't think anyone on the Left pretends that Rachel Maddow is a hard-hitting investigative reporter who goes into the trenches and breaks original news. She doesn't. Her role, and the role of other opinion journalists, is to process the news and offer her own opinion. That is a division of journalistic labor that exists on both the Left and the Right.
The Sean Hannities, Rush Limbaughs, Ann Coulters, and other conservative commentators do the same. Whatever the medium (TV, radio, or written word), it's the same approach.
It doesn't mean they're colluding. I don't think Trump literally coordinates with those right-wing folks, even if they do offer pro-Trump opinions.