I've found that every time I post something complaining about a "science journalist", or a "tech journalist", not having a basic understanding of the stuff they write about, or not doing meaningful research, I reliably get downvotes.

Sorry, if you are reporting on a "science" beat, I do expect you to recognize the word "furan", because you either took organic chemistry or have paid some attention to the world around you. You don't have to be able to sketch it, but come on.