I'm disappointed by how much credit is being given to the LHC conspiracy-theory types by the press. I haven't seen a single news story that failed to mention the protests, death threats, and anti-scientific fear mongering - although to their credit, it's usually reserved for the third or fourth paragraph. I understand that there's a journalistic principle requiring all sides to be represented, but any journalist who's willing to get their hands dirty and evaluate the arguments critically will quickly see that those protesting the LHC are completely misguided.
The fact that these people exist and are so vocal is definitely newsworthy. But there's no need to present their doomsday theories as plausible, or a matter of opinion.
My speculation is that strangelets, mini-black holes and the annihilation of the planet will sell a lot more papers than the science itself, in which most people have no interest.
