I don't think "laziness" is a very good explanation here. The story was so obviously fake that the "journalist" in question actually had to do quite a bit of wo

I don't think "laziness" is a very good explanation here. The story was so obviously fake that the "journalist" in question actually had to do quite a bit of work to compose this story. Reporting a real, actual case, completely and honestly, wouldn't have been more work. But it wouldn't have hit so perfectly the narrative that was the selling point.