Didn't the majority of structural engineers debunk what the media showed?
No...
The Twin Towers were not engineered like most highrises. The developers wanted all the floor space to be free of support columns. All the support was concentrated in the skin and the core of the building.
Let us compare the Empire State Building with the Twin Towers
The Empire State Building:
The Empire State Building's steel structure is made up of an array of cubes, like a three dimensional checkerboard. Each cube shares the load with an adjoining cube (like a large crystal). This results in the load bearing strength being distributed throughout the structure. This makes the building much more resistant to localized trauma. Also the beams are protected by fire brick.
The World Trade Center Twin Towers:
The developers wanted the interior spaces on each floor to be uninterrupted and clear of walls or vertical beams. (The "Open Plan"...) This was achieved by moving the load bearing members...some to the central core, but mostly to the exterior skin...creating what is called a "Framed Tube"
This arrangement is far more susceptible to local trauma inflicting a greater percentage of damage to structural integrity than in the style of structure that is the Empire State Building.
(Think of a beverage can that has a dimple in it's side opposed to one that is perfectly smooth.)
Also the beams were protected with spray on insulation rather than fire brick.