There, there. Sometimes they’re acknowledged as a hot couple or something. *rolls eyes, sighs*

The problem is that the media sees things in black and white. Subversive vampire relationship vs. other subversive vampire relationship isn’t on their radar, no matter how different said subversions are. So they go with the one that’s groundbreaking in terms of popular culture, and not the one that’s groundbreaking in terms of BtVS.

There’s also the fact that a lot of casual fans probably drifted off during the years, especially in S4, and all they know of BtVS is BA. And they’re voting in EW’s polls, too, and they’re thinking, “Yeah, I used to ship Buffy/Angel in the day. Lolwut Spike/Buffy. I don’t think so.” So the media takes that as BA being the primary ship, and that’s kind of correct in the first place, then? 

(Come to think of it, all my RL friends ship Spuffy (or Spangel) and I’d still only heard of Bangel until a day before I’d started the series.)