It's important to make the distinction between Pure Science and anything on the sliding scale from technical description to ELI5. There are levels to it, you and I know.
Oh absolutely there is a sliding scale on both the actual practice of science as well as the reporting. From the practice of it, I know as simple anecdote I have participated in conducting research in hard science (physics), softer hard science (biology), social science (behavioral and economic), as well as straight policy analysis with a "scientific approach" through data science. The findings from those are reported differently and have stronger or weaker words and conclusions. I think that is where the practice sliding scale comes in, is how the researcher decided to write up and report their findings and appropriately identifying their methodology and short-comings.
From the journalism side I think you end up with the problem the wide spread field of journalism has, you have to be read by your audience. That means something with a wider audience is probably going to be more on the ELI5 side which means both the reader and the journalist have to take any reported findings more lightly.
The sliding scale, I believe, comes in with the rigor something is reported. That is both in the practice and the journalistic side. More details can give a more granular understanding showing limitations but some times broad strokes are necessary to get some information out to a wider audience or more quickly.
From the journalism side I think you end up with the problem the wide spread field of journalism has, you have to be read by your audience. That means something with a wider audience is probably going to be more on the ELI5 side which means both the reader and the journalist have to take any reported findings more lightly.
The sliding scale, I believe, comes in with the rigor something is reported. That is both in the practice and the journalistic side. More details can give a more granular understanding showing limitations but some times broad strokes are necessary to get some information out to a wider audience or more quickly.