Via the Columbia Journalism Review: The bird-flu blues. The issue in this interesting story is the conflict between scientists and the media over embargoed announcements. Excerpt:
Reporters didn’t have much time to react to the news that scientists in some countries will soon resume research on a deadly avian flu virus that was suspended last year amid concerns about safety and terrorism.
The journals Science and Nature, which published the announcement in tandem on January 23, gave journalists only 24 hours advance notice that they would do so—an unusually short lead time—provoking charges that they didn’t give allow enough time to gather reactions to the decision.Maybe we'll get a follow-up story on the blog Embargo Watch, which deals with just such issues. In the meantime, Helen Branswell on Twitter is not persuaded.
