This story is a red herring to divert public attention from this issue。

这故事不过是用来转移公众的注意力的。

youdao

She dished up the anti-pollution business to divert the attention of the public.

她把防止污染的事情说得十分重要，以便转移公众的注意。

youdao

Nationalist fervour may be helping to divert public attention away from the party's mishandling of Tibet a remote problem in the minds of many Chinese.

ECONOMIST: China

Even more important than its usefulness as a tool to divert the public's attention away from the failure of his Iran policy, Obama's assault against Israel may well be aimed at maintaining that failed policy.

CENTERFORSECURITYPOLICY: Why Obama is waging war on Israel