No, they would have been localized stories that would have faded in a day.
With global communication, these things can be put together.
It's likely just a couple of isolated occurrences with no connection.
“Think about this. 20 years ago if these incidences had happened, would anyone have been able to link them?”
In 1990, you mean? Oh, I think we could’ve managed to make the connect even “way back then.” :)
Just like plane crashes. Planes crash all the time. No one cares. But when a big one goes down, you hear about all the little ones the following week or so.
Yes, the media is having fun reporting these stories, they’ll grow bored shortly and you won’t hear about these incidents anymore.
... think of this...40 years... the evolution in communications manifest in satellite communication prompted an end to the Vietnam War. Perhaps 1970? Its when the images came on on American TV in 1970,1,2,3 that the real attitudinal changes came through awareness.