I used to think it was a failure to communicate, but I've increasingly come to the conclusion that the "average person on the street" really just doesn't care.

You can be the best speaker in the world, but you'll still only end up communicating to a small sliver of the average people.

I think changing the cultural attitudes towards science will do far more good in the long run, but it's very difficult. Ultimately, I think science isn't loved because it's slow, difficult, and filled with probablistic truth that will likely change in a few years.

This compares poorly to the easily marketable absolute truths that fill most people's days. The worst of science reporting happens when reporters try to make science fit into this mold.