The Blackpool Bugle article was accurate insofar as it went (or not inaccurate) but incomplete. If you ignore how late the programme is (and how much it has slipped even during the last 30 months) and if you ignore what are temporary annoyances with regard to clearances and minor technical problems the programme recently has gone surprisingly smoothly, the aircraft is showing enormous potential, and could be an export success. But the article you quote puts a very one-sided and positive spin on things.
With regard to your reception, this military aircrew forum can be a bit of a snake pit. For someone who has had no exposure to the service culture it might seem rude, unfriendly and insulting - but it's just regarded as playful banter.
If they've left your mother out of it, it wasn't meant rudely!
"F*çk off journo scum" or "F*çk off civvy" is therefore just a friendly greeting.....