Two researchers published a paper on how the Internet is a big factor in announcing scientific discoveries but also can mislead the public due to bias and inaccurate reporting.
One thing that is important in reporting discoveries and disseminating information based on science is that it has to be accurate and unbiased. Science is based on experiments that should be both observable, measurable, and repeatable.
When CERN announced the discovery of the possible Higgs particle, they reported it as a 5 sigma discovery. This means that the discovery has a probability of 0.00003% that the result is accidental or due to chance.
Science reporting must be based on facts. Theories, although not yet proven to be science fact, still undergo scrutiny and has a fundamental principle behind it. The Higgs particle was a theory before, and it took the construction of the Large Hadron Collider for it to be discovered.
And even then, the discovery of the Higgs helps establish another theory which is the Standard Model.
There will be dissenting arguments when it comes to scientific research. Some are even on opposite sides such as Loop Quantum Gravity vs. String Theory. But regardless, it will ultimately fall on research being observable, measurable, and repeatable.
Personal beliefs has no room when it comes to science reporting. A recent article touched on how a Wikipedia editor kept deleting references to Global Warming on the Hurricane Sandy page because he personally does not believe in Global Warming.
Even now, there are still clamors on taking out evolution from science books because it clashes with their religious beliefs.
