It's pretty clear that NASA is often their own worst enemy when it comes to PR. JPL is a bit ahead in that game, but HQ... well, let's just wait and see. I'm hoping that the new administrators (Bolden and especially Lori Garver) have a bit more media IQ.
I remember clearly the TV networks, once it was clear that Apollo 14 would not fall into the same fate as 13, switching over to the daytime soaps while I was playing hookey to watch the moonwalks. I just could not believe it. "General Hospital" instead of the most amazing adventure of our time (or 40 years later, but I digress). But don't blame the media on that one... it was pressure from the viewers that done it.
As stated elsewhere, I have an Apollo book out right now and there has been a lot more interest in terms of written media in Europe than the US. Of course, as the anniversary neared, there was a frenzy of "disposable" media interest; mostly radio. Quickly done, quickly forgotten. Meanwhile, Belgium and Britain and France (!) and others are eating this up. They LOVE Apollo, even though there is some envy mixed in here and there.
So what's wrong with us?
As George Bush famously said, it's much easier to run a dictatorship. That's why I think there is a good chance the Chinese will be setting up shop in the lunar equatorial zone long before we get back to our by-then 50+ year accomplishment. And maybe that's just what we need.
There will be many who will squawk, "Hey, we already did that." But I think a whole lot more people are just going to be outraged. Many of the poloticos who voted down space appropriations will scream "How can this have happened? Who missed the warning signs?? HOW CAN THIS BE???" and we, the true believers (older and grayer), will say: it was YOU. IT WAS YOU, and your disenfranchised constituents who were more concerned with owning a new 80-inch TV than a national vision for space and science.
OK, I'm ranting here. But I give Apollo talks here and there (many more lately), and it just astounds me how few people, people who are INTERESTED in Apollo, know anything about Constellation. NASA, are you listening? Let's forget for a moment that the tech baseline is getting all gooey on us and may shift again. Let's just work the the IDEA of Constellation and Ares and Orion, Altair, etc. While China and, possibly India, are warming-over Soyuz technology for their lunar efforts, we have a choice: we can go or we can watch. Not much else.
I hate to go against Aldrin and Collins (well, mostly Collins) re the Mars question. After all, they are the GODS and I am at best an acolyte. But I just don't think we can generate the national will to get to Mars. I did note that Armstrong was considerably more restrained, even for him. Not sure he's quite there on the Mars question, And if you remove the cycler idea, maybe Buzz would not be quite so fanatical about it either.
But back to the point: NASA needs to climb in bed with the media and, as Borat might say, "Make Space a-Sexy." I've worked oessage from the top is always the same: don't bore me with the facts. I want pretty pictures, some cool CGI graphics, and lots of flash 'n' dazzle. Make space COOL. Make space SEXY.
Because without the media onboard, these spaceflight programs don't have a chance.