The media coverage I found of this was actually very well sourced with references to other articles and ultimately the original email thread in question.

The analysis and statements in the articles were often ridiculous and had little connection to the original material (even the article publishing that material) other than exaggerating someone else's article in a perverse game of telephone.

That's one media outlet of very few one's but there's a lot of other ones that have a lot of "he said she said" thrown around. It becomes harder to form a conclusion without sources.