Thought experiment: what would actually convince mainstream media we're not all mad?

Been thinking about this since the whole Manchester UFO thing blew up. Like, what would it actually take for the mainstream media to cover paranormal investigation seriously instead of just as entertainment or a curiosity piece?

And I'm not talking about a flying saucer landing on Parliament - I mean, what would it take for them to present a well-documented case with proper methodology and evidence without the comedy undertone? Because it feels like no matter how rigorous the investigation, how credible the witnesses, or how solid the evidence, it just gets filed under 'mad people do mad things.'

I reckon part of the problem is that sensationalism sells better than nuance. A responsible breakdown of electromagnetic anomalies isn't as fun as 'AREA 51 EXPOSED' or whatever. But surely there's got to be a breaking point where enough evidence or enough credible people take this seriously that the tone shifts?

What does everyone think? Is it just never going to happen, or are we getting closer?

Honestly, I think we need a few high-profile scientists to publicly support paranormal investigation without reservation. Once someone with real credibility - like a respected physicist or geologist - says 'this is worth studying seriously,' the media tone will shift. But right now they can always find a skeptic to balance any believer, which keeps it in the 'fun story' category.

The issue is that 'paranormal' is almost by definition outside the mainstream scientific establishment. Once something gets proven conclusively, it stops being paranormal and becomes normal science. So in a way, the media will never cover this seriously because the moment it's serious, it stops being paranormal.

what would it actually take for the mainstream media to cover paranormal investigation seriously

I think we're actually doing better than we were ten years ago. The fact that the BBC is now interested in documenting communities like ours, that newspapers cover sightings as news stories even if skeptically, that scientists are allowed to research this stuff without total career suicide - it's progress, even if it's slow.

We need to stop waiting for mainstream media approval. We document, we analyze, we share within communities that care about evidence. Let mainstream media do their thing. We're building something more honest anyway.