This is true, the media is over exaggerating things here. Considering that there are many other human activities that are only wasting energy or much more intensive energy users. As bitcoin is relatively new to their grasp, they are finding loopholes on how to find faults on this new technology. This is why miners are now aggressive also in announcing their use of renewable energy sources, for them to stop the FUD surrounding the use of too much energy.
it's not FUD, it's a real problem. I think those who deny this are the same people who deny global warming. Bitcoin protocol has an infinite demand for more and more energy. It's a structural problem inherent in the protocol. People like to say that banks also use energy, but what's the difference in scale? Any honest analysis must consider the scale.