The problem is one step up the information food chain - the “aviation journalist” in the mainstream media.
Most are only capable of doing reviews of business class lounges or commentary of the merits of the the various airline’s offerings of free onboard pyjamas.
This leaves the way clear for the publicity seeking, self serving charlatan to peddle his/her theories without the inconvenience of rigorous questioning.
To be fair, what hope does your average twenty something year old journo with a soft liberal arts degree have when faced with the gravitas of a grizzly 70 year old ex-airline captain? Or some hungry wonk with a PhD with a “novel” theory who’s hunting for a research grant?