Excellent post, Danny.
I, too, have been watching the trend where the 'consumers' really want to believe anything they're told.
We used to think it was a joke when someone said .. 'It must be true - I read it in the newspaper'.
These days, they're serious - even Wikipedia, fer gawsake. If it was published in the gossip column of the 'Grong-Grong Poultry Farmers Gazette', it can be
cited as a reliable source.
Some might have heard of the 'Cargo Cult' amongst many of the tribesmen in New Guinea.
That is, any aeroplane (balus) seen flying in the sky, if it could be brought to ground, would deliver unlimited wealth and happiness to all.
Kinda like what you were talking about, above.
I'm also shamed to admit that I have a friend (not himself an aviator, I hasten to add) who becomes an authority on air-crash investigations - because ..
he'd watched it on television.
Oh dear.