Unfortunately, the vast majority of the press has little understanding and even less background in the topics they cover. The article they write on Wednesday, they may have learned about on Tuesday, after being assigned it on Monday. This is why so many groups can get away with handling them something that is just slightly less promotional than a press release and get away with it. Combine that with tight publication schedules and the sheer amount that they have to publish (though mostly bloggers, less general journalists) and it's a recipe for disaster.
While my wife was still active in that space, I briefed her colleagues on technical matters regularly. I felt like I was helping educate at scale but at some point I realized that too many just didn't care. They wanted the "10 second sound bite" and move onto the next topic.
Note: If the reporter has a strong background in a subject - technology, medicine, etc - they become the exception rather than the rule as most of them can make more money as consultants than beat reporters. They are often subtly promoting their own books and lectures too.