Of course the media would never, never exaggerate anything in order to boost viewership.
I believe that the FBI's NCIC statistics show the total number of stranger abductions (not runaways, not by a family member) as less than 200 per year.
Now if you prohibit your kids from exposure to any other activity that kills 200 children, in all of America, per year, you are being logical in preventing them from walking to school. I might not agree with you, but you still would be logically consistent.
After 3rd grade, I attended private schools, all of which were too far to walk. My children have always attended private schools with the same situation.
So, I am now trying to see how it benefits a child to walk to school. I am open to being persuaded, but no one's done it yet.