I don't think it was dishonest or sensationalized in the slightest and I don't think it's fair to look at these trips from an owners perspective.
To be clear: I love EVs, and everything mentioned below is solvable through either better software or more infrastructure. My point is that it isn't solved yet.
Being an owner is a lot different than being a reporter with a 24 hour loaner. It's choosing a lifestyle, likely for at least the next 5-10 years, and weighing all of the pros and cons before dropping $50k+... it's a completely different mindset. These guys probably get a 20 minute briefing from Tesla, and nothing is on their dime.
The reality is that the range information provided by the car right now is simply not intuitive. If the car tells you have you have 200 miles of range... you almost certainly don't. Instead you need to consider:
Elevation changes
Temperature
AC/Heat usage
Weight of passengers and luggage
Speed
Buffering
Etc...
That's a lot of mental math and a hell of a learning curve. On top of that, your next charge may often by a mystery: do they have 14-50 outlets? J1772... is it 30A or 50A? Is it already occupied? Is it even working at all? What am I going to do for 3 hours if it's slow? And that's all just one way: Will I be able to charge overnight? Am I staying long enough to get enough range to make it back? What's my backup plan?
"Then, on the way back, he made a point to show that his remaining range was 25 miles but it was 50 to Barstow. From the screen you can see that his CURRENT projected was 25, not his average projected. He was going up the hill at the time."
This illustrates the point exactly... the car is telling you that you can only go 25 miles when you need to go 50. How would that not cause anxiety to the uninitiated? It's not intuitive. (but will eventually be with software updates)
Because there's so much infrastructure none of the things listed above would even cross the mind of an ICE vehicle driver going from LA to Las Vegas. As a current ICE driver (until Sunday... yay!) I drive until my fuel light comes on, and I KNOW that I will easily find a gas station within the next 40 miles (which is as far as I've pushed my fuel light limits). If I'm doing a road trip? Fill up at the nearest station if I'm below 1/3 of a tank. No other considerations, and no matter what, the whole fillup process is going to use about 5 minutes of my time. Some day driving and EV will be just as convenient and care-free, but we're not there yet.
Personally, I think Tesla was fortunate with this driver. Had he not understood the effect elevation changes would have on range, the speed and heating usage would likely have ended in a trip on a flatbed. On the other hand had he didn't seem to understand just how much speed can effect range. (400wH/mile on his display at one point, using 230 miles to 150)
That might seem like a driver fail, but look at it from this perspective - Here's a car that does 0-60 in 4.4, drives like a dream, can pass as quickly as you can think to do so and is incredibly smooth and quiet and nearly any speed. Who wants to drive that at 55? As an owner I'll be able to drive the car the way I want to drive it nearly all of the time and will only need to limit myself during roadtrips. The reporters get one chance... I can't blame them for wanting to really drive.
