The State of Embargoes Canadian Science Writers Association Ottawa, June 7, 2010 Ivan Oransky, MD Executive Editor, Reuters Health Blogger, Embargo Watch http://embargowatch.wordpress.com [email protected]
The State of EmbargoesCanadian Science Writers Association
Ottawa, June 7, 2010
Ivan Oransky, MDExecutive Editor, Reuters Health
Blogger, Embargo Watchhttp://embargowatch.wordpress.com
Unusual Embargo Policies
American Journal of Respiratory and Critical Care Medicine
Studies are available on HighWire, but are then embargoed for press coverage for two weeks
Unusual Embargo Policies
ChestThe papers are available on
HighWire when they’re ready, but you won’t know when the embargo lifts until the print TOCs are announced – often
months later
Unusual Embargo Policies
University of LeedsEmbargoed a study that was
already published in Geophysical Review Letters
Unusual Embargo Policies
The Lancet7:01 p.m. Eastern – unless you’re on the East Coast of the U.S., in which case it’s 6:30 p.m., since nightly network newscasts start
then
Unusual Embargo Policies
American Journal of Preventive Medicine
An embargo that lifts 26 different times, since it’s at news outlets’ local
times
What Breaks are Worth an Early Embargo Lift?
• Twitter – sometimes• Press releases – sometimes• Naming the journal – if you’re a
mainstream outlet• Quoting from the paper – if you’re a
mainstream outlet
Exclusive + Embargo
The President’s Cancer Panel
The New York Times cites and names a GAO report starting the night before a 2 p.m. embargo, but the Senate subcommittee that issued it under embargo won’t lift the embargo early
Exclusive + Embargo
The President’s Cancer Panel
Nick Kristof gets first dibs at a report linking chemicals to cancer, and the PR agency puts out a press release about their efforts