…At least 500 university students nationwide have paid settlements to avoid
being sued, Engebretsen said. Students who don't take the offer face lawsuits
— and minimum damages of $750 for each copyrighted recording shared
if they lose.…

Note how the boilerplate piece hides the truth well down from the top and how
it goes on to quote RIAA that "just one song can bring a lawsuit" even though
they have never made such an attempt.

It is highly probable this reporter is just passing out another RIAA press
release without checking the facts. They pull this trick on reporters all the
time and every few months one will fall for it.