The other is the teacher role. We educate people who read our material. My daily occupation is trying to get inside engineers' heads. She also noted that, as a wire service reporter completing between four and 10 news stories each day, she was not at all likely to have time to check facts or quotes with researchers. Give reporters access to researchers, grad students and people in your labs who are doing the grunt work.
People working in the trenches often give better quotes.
Help educate him or her so they'll trust you. He recalled that, as a child, he knew no scientists. Science writing humanizes science. Mr. Schecter works closely with researchers.