Media mistakes in covering a police video illustrate unaddressed problems

By not independently investigating claims before publishing them, news outlets fail their audiences.

Last week, the San Diego County Sheriff’s Department posted a video of an officer supposedly overdosing from contact with fentanyl, a synthetic opioid 80-100 times stronger than morphine. Titled, “The Dangers of Fentanyl,” the video is a dramatic 4-minute public service announcement promoting the importance of having naloxone on hand.

“Being exposed to j…