Comment by z3c0

Not really. It's a common strategy called "controlling the narrative" and it has been in play since the early days of public relations and propaganda, largely considered to be pioneered by Ivy Lee[1].

Regardless, I only posed it being state-driven as a hypothetical anyways. But state media reporting on the matter does little-to-nothing towards disproving that hypothesis.

[1]: https://pracademy.co.uk/insights/ivy-lee-and-the-origins-of-...