I don't know that this is necessarily a bad thing. Some topics just naturally do not have a explanation in everyday language. I'd be amazed if you could really explain the nuts and bolts of P vs NP or topological spaces to a random person on the street. Conveying the general idea is possible, but any more than that is asking too much.
P-values are a flawed concept and even people who think they understand them usually don't, but I don't get why a science reporter would want to revel in their ignorance and say "yeah, I mean, I don't understand it either, I give up!"