The problem with conspiracy theories is that sometimes they turn out to be true.

Very seldom. Conspiracy theories are extremely rarely based on valid information. Conspiracy theories address our emotional needs.

Another problem is the media often peddles in them.

There are all kinds of media from the looniest to the the most careful with their claims. The all have an agenda, of course. But what at the very least traditional news agencies don't spread entirely made up stories inconsistent with well-known facts. That our information sources are increasingly online is a net negative at least in the short term before people catch up and gain sufficient media literacy.

I believe what the world needs most is more local well-sourced reporting on issues that directly affect people's lives. On a national level, journalists who call out politicians' and civil servants' lies and omissions are more necessary than ever. In the entire West, we have entered an age when politicians lie even more brazenly and some lie constantly without even attempting to be consistent with their lies. Trump is an excellent example of such a politician. The Russians have perfected this method decades ago. While the Soviet Union had a clear ideology and while Soviet propaganda aimed at getting people to believe a consistent set of ideas, Putin's propaganda mainly aims at confusing people. Hence the self-contradictory flood of lies online. Something for everyone. Internal consistency is of no concern. Paralysed and confused is the perpetual mental state of the Russian citizenry, which is exactly where Putin wants it to keep any kind of organized opposition from rising.