This strikes me as more of a case where the media blindly printed the scientifically unsound conclusions of police leadership. Of course, the fastest way for a beat reporter to lose valuable police contacts for future juicy stories is to have a real SME fact check the police source’s unfounded opinions. Part of the symbiotic relationship between LE and the press is that the former feeds the later in return for having stories printed in a particular manner...a manner that shapes a useful narrative.