instance, than it was when they were still performing and recording. With pop music now elevated to the status of serious music, there is little room left for classical.
That assumes pop music isn't "serious," when indeed for many of its creators and fans, it is. For them, there is musical and emotional substance to be enjoyed and discussed. And certainly, it enjoys a cultural prominence that does make it important, at least in the regard that it actually affects a broad range of people.
More complex forms of music, like classical and modern jazz, are understandably boutique tastes, fine art that demands some attention and study for fair appreciation. Just as most people will never bother with Shakespeare, most will never bother with classical music and therefore dismiss it out of ignorance. Many people are stupid, lazy, or uneducated and content--sometimes even proud--to remain so. Particularly in the supposedly egalitarian culture of the US, there often seems to be some suspicion towards anything elitist, and classical music certainly qualifies.
As for the press, they're a business: when they can find dollar signs in classical music, they'll turn their attention to it. Yet, part of the problem may be that a lot of people in the press share the sort of ignorance I mention above: how many editors and writers at your average newspaper know much--or anything--about classical music and could cover it even if they wanted to?