Yes, you should care about mainstream media. People are going to pick up on what is said through the media and that will become incorporated into their views and thoughts on exercise and health. SOMEONE has to respond to the nonsense that gets spewed. If you don’t address these things, then the few who question it will find nothing on Google when they do a search on the topic.

Please, don’t be like researchers I know that think people should just already be smart enough to understand your subject and if they don’t then they’re not worth your time. Part of your professional and social responsibility for being in this field is to help and educate people.