I feel like we should borrow the Brit-slang terms "boffin", "swot", "spod", "anorak", and maybe "dux", to supplement "nerd", "geek", "dork", "brainiac", "neckbeard", "poindexter", "dilbert", and "square".
If it makes you feel better, there are far more mildly derogatory slang terms for idiots and drunks.
You can't control what news outlets print. They will use the language that their readers use. If you want them to stop using "nerd", you need to offer a superior alternative.
In this case, we'd probably all prefer "technology experts".
That said, "nerd" does not appear at the story link now.
If it makes you feel better, there are far more mildly derogatory slang terms for idiots and drunks.