I think it mostly matters because an article like this can be released if they lack actual cash backing that causes people to lose faith in the real value of USDT and then people don't amicably agree to trade it at around 1 USD because it can't actually be converted to that value.

This may seem pedantic but that's because economics is pedantic - things can appear to be running fine for a long time but if some basic assumptions are violated the whole thing can topple like a house of cards.