Is the popular press helping destroy the credibility of science? I've seen it in my field: The journal paper says 'possible connection suggests new avenue of continued research' then the press headlines 'new hope for a cure'. When it doesn't pan out, lay people desperate for a cure are again disappointed in science and turn to quack medicine and 'alternative' pseudoscience. What can be done to fix it?
As long as the "misinterpretations" and misconceptions are narrower than the differences of academic opinion for the topic being described, everything should be okay. I have seen some major knock-down, drag-out letters fights in one of my favorite subjects, anthropology from 75KYA to 4 KYA.