I have kept and raised pythons for several decades. I imagine you have quite a different perspective then me being stuck right in the middle of that! For what it's worth I think any of those "wild" pythons would avoid human interaction. I read that article somewhere else did it say that snake was off the beaten track or close to people?
I also think that there is a lot of misinformation out there which the media doesn't care because you have phobias+sensationalism=higher ratings.
Anyway, thats my two cents! It bothers me because I am a responsible pet keeper facing the loss of income/my hobby when my pets are banned!