> Finding someone qualified to go to for comment is not straightforward.
Not straightforward for the university press department? What could be more straightforward? Tell the university press writers to go talk to the university researchers they're writing about. If the researchers refuse to cooperate, then don't write the press release!
No, as in - even if you don’t want to take the scientist’s word for it, finding someone who is able to make an informed comment about whether the work is actually any good or not is really hard.
Not straightforward for the university press department? What could be more straightforward? Tell the university press writers to go talk to the university researchers they're writing about. If the researchers refuse to cooperate, then don't write the press release!