Personally I think the problem may be more related to social media, than to the news outlets.
I seem to remember back in the 80s, one of the popular papers reported that a WW2 plane had landed on the moon. Most people just laughed of course, as the journalist no doubt intended. And if 1 in 10,000 failed to understand it was a joke then no matter, we just sympathetically dropped the conversation in their presence.
But these days, the 1 in 10,000 nutter is probably in instant contact with a network of like minded nutters. Population is circa 60 million or more so, at 1 in 10,000, you can soon have 5,000 or more determined citizens marching on Downing Street to demand the plane be recovered.
Incidentally, I have been called up for my microchip vaccination on Saturday. Since I am in my late 70's, I was surprised how quickly I was offered it.......................
Wow, great news.