Let's use this as an example of bad reporting and run-away-news stories. Question the garbage we are fed
Absolutely!
Most "on line, it's happening NOW" kind of reporting will merrily sacrifice accuracy for speed - it's a very though race, and each news channel want to be first with fresh new details. Failing that, they'll rehash just about anything just to stay "current" and not loose any ground in the competition for viewers/readers. Gory, attention catching details are worth their weight in gold. Few will ever care that they will later turn out not to be true...
As a general rule I try to take all specific details with several grains of salt, particulary if reported by online media or television. Even more so if the event is actually happening "live" right now, or just recently. If the specific detail is particular attention catching I'll label it as "probably not true at all".
The more gory and/or absurd piece of information, the more I try to disbelive it. But it's hard - some mental images just click into your mind and stay there. Particular if that piece of information is both gory and really absurd... It isn't called infotainment for nothing.