I would guess that cognitive biases are in play, in part. People want to believe that their country is doing something good, and that their suffering is for a g

I would guess that cognitive biases are in play, in part. People want to believe that their country is doing something good, and that their suffering is for a good cause. So if a news source reinforces that (such as "Special Operation to liberate Ukraine from Nazis"), it's easier to listen to than a narrative that runs counter ("Destroying both countries to appease a tyrant's ego"). That's not the only factor, but here in the US it's certainly a big part of the appeal of misleading news sources.