I wouldn't go that far, Magill exposed far more corruption than the rest of the so-called Fourth Estate. Even in its revamped format it uncovered even more. I think Browne's failing was to overlook the demise of print media and serious magazines (though they would boom online).
Browne likes to provoke, I wouldn't confuse too much his fuelling debates with his actual politics. And whether or not you agree with his agenda, he has contributed to and uncovered more corruption than most of his pals.
I agree that he is confrontational but only with those he disagrees with. If he is interviewee is saying something he agrees with he not only doesn’t ask the hard questions, he answers probing questions that are put by other panel members (or, more usually, the beleaguered non-socialist on the panel). There was a woman from one of the housing agencies/lobby groups on a while ago spouting the most unbelievable garbage about how it was unrestrained capitalism that got us into our current quagmire and he fawned over her like an infatuated schoolboy.