As it turns out, a surprising amount of science coverage could be described as little more than marketing for elite research centers. A few commentators have acknowledged part of the problem; Nature magazine, for instance, expressed concern that journalists act as “cheerleaders” who perform a “public-relations service” for scientists, and so the magazine called on scientists to help the press “cast a fair but skeptical eye” over the scientific enterprise.

It's always easier to just cover press releases unedited than do actual work.