I, too, get annoyed at ignorant stories about aviation.

But to be realistic, you can't expect "your typical media type" to be
expert in all the fields he or she has to write about: aviation,
criminology, firefighting, public finance, education, agriculture,
ecology, the military, economics, politics, etc.etc.etc.


Realistically, "your typical media type" knows as much criminology,
firefighting, public finance, education, agriculture, ecology, the
military,
economics, politics, etc.etc.etc., as he or she knows about: aviation.


Regrettably, that is exactly true.