For the mock news account, you could present it as if it was one of the greatest battles in history of America, while in reality it was a very brief skirmish that involved some 100 people or less who later went to Concorde. Hyperbole would cause a comic effect so go for that in you mock news essay.
In powerful countries, nationalism can lead to imperialism. Nationalism can be defined as the idea that your country is superior to all others. If people feel nationalistic, they might start to want to prove that their country is better than the others. One way to prove this is by taking an empire.
Wow this is such a good question, too bad i don’t have an answer